The Legend of Zelda: The Dark Master Sword
by blitzklipze
Summary: Ganondorf is in the process of taking over Hyrule by controlling the King's mind. Link and Zelda team up on an epic quest to gain three gems and put an end to evil. How will they fare though, when their holy Master Sword has been corrupted and turned against them?
1. Chapter 1: Living a Lie

A shining maiden floats in front of me. Who is she? Why do I see her? What are these feelings I have? Trust? No… it is greater… She is dancing. She dances all around me. She is the source of my strength.

But wait! Where is she going? She is suffering.

"No, come back!"

She is engulfed by the darkness… I can still hear her screaming.

"Help me, please help me, please help me, pleeaase… LINK!"

Chapter 1: Living a Lie

Link woke up.

He was surprised to have found himself in his bed. The wetness under the sheets told him how much he was sweating, the soreness in his throat how much he's been screaming, and the stickiness in his eyelids how much he's been crying. He slept for so long, but he was still tired. He thought to himself_, It was the same nightmare again. How come it went on for so long? _

Link looked over at the empty bed next to him and realized why. _He_ wasn't there to wake him up.

"Drake…"

Link's heart sank as he remembered that Drake was no longer around. It had only been a few days, but Link's mind had gone from suicidal tendencies to revenge tactics, and even running away.

Since Drake had died, Link found no joy in anything. The only thing he could do was wash the memories away by sleeping. He barely ate, he didn't attend training, and he slept almost all of the time. Though he could normally find escape in his slumber, the recurring nightmare now haunted him beyond his ability to bear it. There was no more escape.

Link lived in the junior knights academy, a pre-knight training center, which was located between Hyrule Castle and the Castle Town. Castle Town was the place where he had grown up. The tales of old told of a wonderful kingdom of Hyrule where freedom and happiness grew and everyone was welcome.

That was not this place.

This place was different. It seemed as though there was no order. Those in charge of the safety of the citizens, the police, were the second greatest source of fear to the citizens. The greatest sources of fear were the Sheikahs, an ancient clan that was deemed by the king to be "The Greatest Threat to our land and the embodiment of true evil." Every night you could hear the screams of the citizens, as the Hyrulean guards would raid another peasant's home in search of "Sheikah terrorists." They would take everything the people have and leave them homeless.

No one cared; it was just another "act of valor." The guards were taking control of the kingdom. The threat of Sheikah attack was apparently growing. Certain churches and parts of the castle had been attacked. None of the citizens had ever seen these Sheiks but knew that they wanted them killed.

Link had one true friend. His name was Drake. Drake was outgoing and funny. He was the type to make friends very easily. Link had met Drake on the first day of the Junior Knights Academy back when they were both thirteen. They were roommates and, over time, bonded. They always had each other's backs no matter what. When others would try to bully Link, Drake would come to help him out, and vice-versa.

One night, while Link was on guard duty, one of Drake's childhood friends, Clyde, came running to Drake's door in a panic.

"DRAKE! You gotta help me!" he cried. "The- the night guards are attacking my home! They arrested my dad and mom when they tried to resist. I- I don't kn- know what to do!" Clyde started crying uncontrollably at this point.

"Get it together, Clyde!" Drake shouted as he shook Clyde by the shoulders.

Clyde seemed to calm down. Drake managed to snap him out of it.

"Lets get over there and figure this out," Drake said as he grabbed his gear and left with Clyde. When Drake and Clyde got there they saw Clyde's family tied up outside the house in a carriage. The guards were inside the house rummaging through their belongings. Clyde ran to his parents to untie them and Drake walked up to the house. He entered through the door, and said in a very loud and clear voice, "WHATS GOING ON HERE?"

About ten or so guards had stopped what they were doing and turned to Drake with a baffled look on their faces. It was the first time anyone had tried to stop them from raiding someone's house.

"This is a police investigation, go home kid!"

"I know exactly what this is! And it is you who needs to be investigated."

"I'm gonna say this one last time. Leave now, and you leave with your legs!"

Drake decided on another means to get his point across. He pulled out his sword and slashed one of the guards down.

"That's it!"

All of the guards ganged up on him and in a matter of seconds he was killed.

The next day, Clyde and his parents disappeared and they were labeled criminals for the murder of Drake and for injuring several of the guards. Link knew Drake and Clyde. He knew that they would never get in a fight this badly. Link very soon gave up on becoming a Hyrulean Knight.

He asked himself: "What for?"

Link felt foolish. For so long he had believed in justice. He even joined the Knight's Academy because of this belief. Now it was clear to him that these "knights" were the means of injustice to society. It seemed as though that Link's entire life until this point was a lie.

There was no more apparent reason for Link to go on with the daily mundane tasks of a knight in training, so one night, he grabbed his gear and set out with no intent of returning to his room that he and Drake had shared for so long. He had only one thing on his mind: _Revenge._

There was a full moon out that night. It was almost dead quiet until Link heard a lady screaming. He ran and turned the alley corner and spotted an elderly woman with a large bag flung over her back trying to run away from four guards who were inquiring about what was in the bag. The guards joked around at how slow she was moving. They toyed with her weakness. Link instantly became furious at the scene.

He walked up to them and without saying a word cut one of the men down from behind. One of the other guards, after noticing what had happened, blew a whistle to call in any nearby allies for backup. Then the remaining men pulled their spears out and guarded against Link. By now the lady had gotten away and the guards had forgotten about her.

Link heard a vague "thank you" from the lady. It did not seem to affect his composure.

He charged against the first guard. He used his shield to knock the spear out of the way and made a clean diagonal slash across the chest. The next guard tried to stab Link from behind. Link dodged the thrust, turned around, and made another cut across the chest. The third guard, after seeing this, was more hesitant about attacking Link. Link dashed at him very quickly, sliced the spear in half, and cut him across the chest. Each of the four guards lay on the ground around Link moaning in pain while rolling in their own blood. A moment of realization settled in on the trainee.

Until now, he had only trained with either wooden sticks or on logs. He had never actually injured real people before this moment.

He looked at the blood on his sword and felt an acidic build up in his throat. The jolt of the uncontrollable spasm of vomit brought him to his knees. As the pain welled up in his nose in eyes his inner moral compass took it as a form of punishment. He was not sure if he regretted what he did. "They deserved it!" he told himself in succession.

Link feels his sanity holding on by a thread.

Guards began to gather around Link. With spears drawn, they tiptoed towards him, wondering what exactly was going on. Link, who was unable to defend himself in the middle of this breakdown, was arrested and taken into custody.


	2. Chapter 2 Good and Evil

Chapter 2 Good and Evil

Link sat in his cell staring at the ground. His legs were curled up in his arms and he hunched himself over in a corner with barely a thought in his head. He thought, "What has happened?" This question was only partially rhetorical. Link was half in a daze up until this point. He did not pay much attention to all the people that were talking and the transactions going on around him. He did find that he could remember what happened if he thought about it.

Shortly after he was arrested, he was brought before a judge. It was clear that nothing he would say could alter the opinions of the judge, nor anyone else at this trial. Link had committed a blatant attack on official guards doing their 'duty.' People in the past have been sentenced to death for lighter crimes.

Sitting high above the judge's podium, Link saw a tall, orange-haired man with dark skin, in a black robe.

"He must be a foreigner," Link thought.

He noticed the man because of the way he was staring at him so intently. Based on the elevation of his seat and the emblem on his chest, it was clear that this man held a high position in Hyrule and Link wondered why he would be at a trial.

He then came to a realization.

The crime that he had committed is a rare type of crime. The people of Hyrule normally would not even think of attacking guards. It seemed that something about Link intrigued this man. At this moment Link realized that he was going to be sentenced to death to set an example for any other rebellious factions. Link could see the structure of the kingdom coming together in his head and feel it falling apart from his heart.

The court officials, after not getting any answer out of him, sentenced him to death. In his thoughts he wondered what could be done to save him. _"Perhaps the king could set me free,"_ he thought, but the king was nowhere to be found. There are posters of him though all around the kingdom. A tall and important-looking man with his signature white beard and red coat, his face hung all around the castle town. Below his image there was encrypted in Hylian: "Hyrule. Freedom. Peace. Love." Link thought it strange that the king was such an ambiguous character. He was a symbol of perfection that could not be questioned without consequence. No one had ever met him in person. He remained locked up inside his castle. For all Link knew, the king might not even exist. He may just be a figurehead for the kingdom and the campaign that the rulers were running to keep control of the people.

"All right, take him out!"

The guards escorted Link out and to his cell. His execution had been scheduled for the next morning. Link couldn't sleep. He sat against the cold wall and stared out the window towards the moon. "Death… is this what I want? Is there no other way?" Link pondered over his last moments and about how he felt. He didn't care about anything anymore. His life may be taken away the next day, but his spirit was already gone. "What of I now? I am merely a shell of consciousness that prolongs its own suffering with its survival. Death is what I want. Death is what I need. I am ready. Mom… Dad… I will join you soon…"

For what seemed like a couple of hours, Link managed to get some sleep. He saw the Shining maiden again. She looked clearer this time. He could see that her arms were mere sheets similar to that of a silk cloth. One arm was purple and the other silver. She had a blue gem at the center of her purple chest. Her eyes did not have any trace of a pupil or iris. They were blank with a silver coat. Her hair was not really hair but more solid, like that of a statue or a sculpture. It did not sway with the wind, nor did it have strands. It was one solid piece. Her legs were dark green with a cris-crossing diagonal striped pattern all around them. Link noticed that she looked metallic this time as opposed to porcelain-like, which is what he had thought of her complexion prior to this dream. Something seemed odd, though. Usually she would float in front of him almost as if she was dancing. This time, however, she looked dead. She looked as if she was hanging by a noose around her neck. Her arms weren't floating to the sides - they hung straight down. Her head drooped down as if she was staring at a floor. Then the darkness, instead of coming from around her like it did in his former dreams, came from within her and covered her body up until she was completely black. Her head began to move in a series of quick twitches and then it suddenly rose up to make eye contact with Link. Her eyes as well as the gem on her chest were now bright red. Link then saw a flash of his own face, but his skin was as black as ash, his hair was a dirty white, and his eyes were bloodshot red. There was a very deep fear that Link had never felt before looming in the air of this nightmare.

Link's dream was suddenly interrupted at this point.

He awoke in a stream of hazy thoughts, unsure of how much time had passed, and was eased back into consciousness by the voices of a conversation. The night guard was talking to what sounded like a young lady. Her voice felt very warm and calming to Link, especially at a time like this. He could not make out what they were saying, but it seemed like the lady wanted passage to talk to one of the prisoners, and the guard was being cautious about what her motives might be. Suddenly, the guard answered loudly, "Right away princess!"

Link could hear hurried footsteps, which he presumed to be the guard's, followed by evenly paced footsteps, which he presumed to be the princess'. Link stayed at his corner staring at his wall, not planning on turning around. He heard the footsteps stop in front of his cell.

"Hello? Are you Link?" the young lady asked. It was a heavenly voice, as though an angel had descended and taken human form.

"Yes, that's my name." Link said, still staring at the wall.

"I understand that you've been through a lot and I have come to help."

Link turned around and saw her. She was crouching down at the bars of the cell, wearing a dark hooded cloak that covered her entire body save her head, on which she had beautiful blonde hair and a small golden crown with multicolored gems. The look in her azure eyes was of the deepest concern that Link had ever seen. There was something about her that seemed special; at least at that moment it did.

Link asked, "Who are you?"

The maiden answered. "I am princess Zelda, daughter and heir to King Roden VI, and I have come to save you." Zelda then stood up and ordered the guard to open the cell.

The guard hesitantly did so. Link, still in a daze over what was happening, stood up slowly and walked over to Zelda. He thought of many words to say, but in the end, only one came out.

"Why?"

Zelda answered firmly, "I need you."

They left shortly after the guard gave Link all his confiscated equipment.

Zelda and Link set out at what seemed like the middle of the night. Zelda gave him an extra cloak and a horse to ride. When they reached the gate, the guard questioned them. Zelda held out an emblem with a Hyrulean crest and they were let out.

The golden emblem is only held by those with royal blood. To any citizen of Hyrule, the presence of this emblem demanded the greatest respect from them.

Zelda led Link across the plains of Hyrule. The night was quiet and serene. Though Link felt relieved that he was saved from his execution, he still had not gotten over his friend's death. His gaze was directed downwards for the duration of the trip. Not much thought drifted through his mind either; depression still had its grip on him. Just as Link's thoughts were taking him down a dark void, Zelda started talking.

"I am taking you to a wise woman. She will know what to do with you."

Link still sat quietly. He couldn't care much where he was going since he wasn't leaving anything behind after all. As he looked out onto the plains he thought about the map of Hyrule, which he had been taught about since he was a child.

Hyrule Castle is a fortified city. Around it, a large plain covers more of the surface than the town itself. This is where the farming was done. The farmland only went a certain distance from the town, roughly one mile. At a certain point, the plains became open fields where wild animals would roam freely. It is said that there are creatures that roam these fields at night; as to the truth of that supposition, Link was still unsure of.

At about two miles out from the Castle Town in all directions, a great forest surrounds. Past this forest, in each bearing there are many new and unexplored lands, and there are lands known but less traveled by humans.

If one goes far enough north, there are great canyons and mountains inhabited by the Goron tribe. Link was told that they were a race of tough-looking creatures that eat rocks. If one goes east, there is a great lake where Hyrule Kingdom gets its water supply.

Past the great lake, there is a vast desert where the Gerudo, a small group of nomadic people live.

To the west, there is a seemingly boundless ocean, home to the Zora, a race of fish-humans.

To the south, the forest extends endlessly and is inhabited by the Kokiri, a race of forest people that resemble humans; however, they apparently never seem to grow into adulthood, nor have they been seen in recent times. Rumors say that the Kokiri are extinct, but no one really knows if they are true.

This was the first time that Link had gone this far from the castle. He wondered if these creatures even existed, or if he was lied to about that as well.

Further contemplation about the plains brought Link to remember a time when he was a child and he could run around a field with his friends. It was a good time; in fact, it was the best time of his life. He remembered his parents vaguely and how they were so kind and warm towards him. His mom would make delicious cakes and his dad would teach him basic carpentry. To remember this brought tears to his eyes. Their time together wasn't meant to be for long.

Once when he was eight years old, he went out with his friends to have some fun. He always had something fun to do with them. This night, they decided to steal a barrel full of apples from one of the apple salesmen whom none of the kids in the group liked. Their plans got delayed and Link ended up staying out extra late. The kids split the barrel evenly between them and they quickly disbanded. Link felt overjoyed about bringing home a bag full of apples to his parents.

On his way home, he saw something. In the distance, towards his townhouse, he could see a commotion. A crowd was gathered around a burning house. As Link got closer, he realized that it was his house that was burning. He dropped the apples and ran as fast as he could towards the house.

When he reached the house it had already suffered too much damage to be entered. His parents were nowhere to be found. The neighbors were rushing in with pails of water to kill the fire. Link ran around crying out, "MOM! DAD!"

He looked for his parents until his throat dried up from screaming. At long last, Link gave up. He fell to his knees in front of the house. By then, the fire was nearly extinguished.

Link awoke from his memory. It was too painful to go any further.

He looked at the path they were on. He and Zelda were entering a forest. This part of the forest was southeast of Hyrule castle.

Shortly after they entered the forest, they came upon a strange rock. It was a white rock with one eye covering most of its face. It was as high as Link's hip and it bulged out of the ground like a tick on a dog. In a certain light, one would say it looked funny.

Zelda pulled out a blue ceramic ocarina from her leather satchel and played a beautiful melody that conveyed a simplistic and child-like love. The sound crept in with an intimate hum and slowly swept the listener off their feet. A person could be lost for days listening to the song reminiscing his or her past and anticipating a promising future. Within the tune was held all the joys of innocence experienced through assimilating oneself to the youthful voice that spoke out without hesitation, nor fear of looking naïve; the voice best conveyed by the wordless ocarina. (*Zelda's lullaby)

A path opened right in front of the rock. This tunnel led underground. Zelda lit a ball of light in her hand using light magic. With it she guided the horse down the cave. As soon as they were both a certain distance down, Link could hear the opening resealing behind them. The walls and ceiling were made of dirt. The cave was not fortified on the inside that much, but it somehow managed to stay strong. It was extremely narrow though, just enough for a horse and a rider to pass through. One could get a feeling of claustrophobia when going through this corridor, especially on a horse, which Link was. There were no torches to light the way. Anyone who entered would have to light his or her own way.

After about a minute of walking down this seemingly endless and dark corridor, they came upon an underground cavern.

To Link's surprise, there was a small community with a few hundred people living here. Tents were spread along the cavern together with torches to light the ways in between. There were pillars every ten feet or so to support the roof. At the center of the cavern's ceiling, there was a hole that served as a skylight and an air influx. Link could see some tents were lit from the inside, but most of them were dark since their inhabitants were probably sleeping.

After seeing the puzzled look on Link's face, Zelda went ahead with the explanation.

"These are all people who were at one point victims of false accusations by the kingdom. I brought them here because they had nowhere else to go."

Though Link did not express it, he was surprised. It was the noblest act he had ever seen in his life. This also awoke in him some kind of hope that not all people with power are necessarily evil, a point of view he had become accustomed to over the past few days.

Zelda stopped the horses once they reached a tall maroon-colored teepee-like tent that was lit from the inside. She got off her horse and instructed Link to do the same.

"Come, you will meet the wise woman now."


	3. Chapter 3: Song of Healing

Chapter 3 Song of Healing

Zelda walked into the tent ahead of Link, who caught an eerie feeling as he looked up at the ominous mass of canvas. There was an eye on it; the same eye that signifies an affiliation with the Sheikahs. Link cautiously entered.

Once inside, the first thing he noticed was the strong aroma coming from the incense laid all along the floor. The only source of light was from a lantern on the ground. The interior of the tent was a deep purple-red hue. The tent was stuffy; only five people could comfortably sit in it at most.

Zelda sat on a cushion on the right side of the tent, while Link sat on the center cushion across from the old lady.

The old lady had a maroon cloak covering her. It shadowed her face. She had long white hair that had been braided and curled so that it hung down in front of her; its shape and movement were similar to that of a pendulum. She appeared to have been meditating over a set of colorful rocks that lay in front of her when Zelda entered. She stopped to meet at her visitors.

"Ahhhh, so you are the _famous_… Link." Her voice sounded old and raspy, as if she had been smoking for a good deal of her life. She spoke unhurriedly. Link had a feeling as if he was being held back or slowed down just from listening to her

Link nodded, but still kept his wits about him.

"Zelda told me ALL about you, and what has happened to you."

She turned to Zelda. "I can see why you picked him, he's quite a handsome fellow."

As she turned to Zelda, her hanging braid began to swing left and right. Link couldn't help but stare at its hypnotizing movements.

Zelda blushed, then said in a slightly embarrassed sounding voice, "Impa, you KNOW why I chose him."

Impa said, "Oh yes, yes…" while nodding her head and reverting her attention back to Link.

As she turned back, the braid swung again and gained more momentum. Link's distrust wore off while he stared at the swinging braid.

After gazing into Link for what seemed like half a minute, Impa said in a motherly voice, "I see you…"

There was a long pause. Link thought about her words for a while. They puzzled him. They were somehow too simple to be understood.

"What do you mean?" Link said, still staring at the braid.

"I know your suffering. I can feel it in my heart. The stories that Zelda has told me about you have been reaffirmed through these feelings. You need not tell me your story; I know it already. In fact, I may know it better than you do." Her voice lingered in the air longer than any usual voice. "Link, relax, you are very tired and you need to rejuvenate."

"I cannot sleep…" Link said. This statement grabbed Zelda's attention. "There is a nightmare… it happens every time I sleep."

"I said nothing about sleeping, Link."

Link thought about it and realized he had read into her words too far. He stared at the ground and wondered what she could mean by 'rest.'

"May I play you a song?" Impa asked in a slightly livelier voice. "Songs always seem to help me when I'm feeling down."

Link looked up to her and said "sure…" He didn't think it would work. He thought it was idiotic that music could help one 'rest', as if it were a pseudo-cure that didn't really work. He decided to go along with it though, because "why not?"

"Zelda, will you join me?" Impa requested as she pulled out a small flute-like instrument. (*Reed flute)

Zelda replied, "Sure! Which melody will we play?"

"Oh, it is a new one. Just let me play a few notes and you can try to follow along."

Zelda pulled out her ocarina and listened closely to Impa's song. Impa began to play a melody that was sad above everything else, but it also conveyed a deep and sincere empathy. The impact of the melody was dependent on the depth of the musician's soul. The song allowed two people to be connected through suffering. It turned these dark and depressing experiences into a means of expressing love. This love allowed the dark experiences to drift away. (*Song of Healing)

Link felt this love. He felt it in the deepest parts of his heart.

Zelda joined in on the melody, but Link was too dazed to really hear her part.

Link lost situational awareness. He collapsed on his side.

His mind drifted away, to places he had long forgotten…

-:-

Link awoke in an empty and black space.

"Where am I?" he thought. His thoughts echoed loudly. "What is happening? There is nothing here, and yet… I feel calm." He tried to look around and reach out for any surface, but this only reaffirmed the vacuity of his surroundings.

Suddenly, the empty space turned white, and then an endless sky-blue ocean materialized right below Link. He floated down and gently landed on the water. He was astonished to find that he could stand on the surface. The ocean was infinitely calm. The only ripples made were when Link's feet touched the water. These ripples did not go far; this ocean quelled them with ease. There was a sun, but no clouds in the sky, just a light-blue vastness that extended endlessly.

Link looked down and saw his reflection in the water. He had dark blonde hair that was combed over to the right side and a green hat that was pointed, but droopy so that it hung down onto his back. His eyes were dark brown. He was wearing a green tunic with chainmail underneath. On his legs he wore beige trousers, and shin-high dark brown travel boots. His weapons were nowhere to be found, though.

Link's clothes reminded him of an old fairytale about a hero dressed very similarly to how he was dressed. This hero fought a great demon to save a princess. Link remembered how his mother would tell him this story. Early on in his life, this hero became someone he aspired to be. It was his real life role-play for a while. These were the most joyous memories to remember.

Link noticed while looking at his reflection that someone about his height stood right in front of him. Link shifted his glance upward to realize that it was Drake. He was wearing the same clothes as Link, except the color scheme of his hat and tunic was blue rather than green. Drake stood slightly taller than Link. He had black hair that, when contrasted with his skin, made his complexion look extremely white. His eyes were blue and intense. He had that same grin on his face that he always seemed to have. It was a grin that said "C'mon! Lets do something!" A wind appeared to be blowing now; it brought in a calm atmosphere.

To Link's surprise Drake began to speak. "Link… you don't have to dwell here. Move on… forget about me. I've gone on to the next world. You don't need me here anymore." His voice was optimistic and cheerful.

Drake looked up at the sun with an expression of hope on his face. It appeared as though Drake was seeking guidance, or perhaps he was having a realization. Whatever occurred in his mind brought peace and acceptance to it. Drake closed his eyes in this acceptance. He looked back at Link.

"Link… you have no more need to be bound by me."

Drake walked over and hugged Link. Link hugged back; he cherished the moment deep in his heart. Drake took a few steps back. His physical form diffused into tiny white lights that floated into the sky. While this was taking place, Link realized that he had a question in mind.

He said, "Drake…"

Drake turned his head to look at Link while his body was slowly disintegrating.

"What do I do now? …Now that I don't have you…" Link looked down at his feet; he was a little embarrassed at how this sounded.

"You live…" Drake said in a reassuring voice.

Link looked up and saw that Drake was looking at him. His eyes conveyed that this was an important point, nothing to be embarrassed about. Drake looked back up as the remainder of his body diffused into the sky.

Right when the last of the lights left, Link heard, in Drake's voice, "Goodbye… friend…"

Link looked to the skies and whispered, "Goodbye…"

Solemn tears rolled down his cheek.


	4. Chapter 4: Accepting Death

Chapter 4 Accepting Death

"Impa? Is that you? Why am I- where am I… a bed?" Link could feel that he was lying down and saw a vague silhouette of a person sitting next to him.

"Sleep…" she said calmly. "It'll be all right." The person's voice reminded Link of his mother. She placed a wet cloth on Link's forehead.

Link felt extremely tired. His eyelids weighed like boulders. Consciousness was drifting away.

Link's eyes opened. The weight was gone. He recognized the ceiling. It was his room from when he was a child. As he sat up, he noticed that his mother was sitting at his bedside. There was a wooden bowl of water with a rag in it placed on a small wooden table next to his mother. Link deduced from the bowl that he must have been sick and was just now waking up from a spell. His mother had a look of contented happiness despite the fatigued messiness conveyed by her raggedy clothes and untidy hair. She probably had not gotten much sleep while he was sick.

Link's mother was wearing a brown wool blouse and a dark brown skirt. Her hair was light brown and tied in a bun beneath a green bandana. She had a simple smile and a look of concern on her face that was mostly expressed through her hazel eyes.

She spread her arms so as to hug Link, who without hesitation, leapt out of bed and jumped into her embrace.

Link then realized that this was a memory from when he was young and had gotten sick with a fever. The memory felt very vivid. He closed his eyes and cherished it. The hug lasted a long time; Link didn't want it to end.

As Link opened his eyes, he saw that the setting had been changed. He was still hugging his mother, but now he was no longer a child and was standing on the same infinite ocean as in his last dream. Link took a step back and saw that his father now stood next to his mother.

Link's father was tall, had short blonde hair, and blue eyes. He wore a gray working apron and gloves on top of a plain brown shirt. Link remembered him best this way. Even Link's earliest memories of his father were in the workshop. The carpenter placed an arm around his wife and gave Link a confident look.

They did not do anything other than stare at Link. They both had a look on their face that showed that they were happy Link had grown into such a strong young man.

Link's dream zoomed out and back towards his memory of the day his parents died.

He was kneeling in front of a burnt pile of wreckage that he once called home when he overheard a conversation nearby.

A neighbor was talking to one of the investigators.

"So what happened here?"

"Sheikah terrorist attack. The people living here resisted the Sheikahs trying to occupy their home and were killed for noncompliance."

"What? But Richard and Clair were good people. Those damned Sheiks! How could they do this? It's just pure evil!"

Link tried to pay more attention to the memory, but his rage was growing ever stronger. There were no traces of Sheikah terrorists here. The odds were that the Sheiks were not really there that night and that the guards just decided to raid his house.

In thought he blared, "EVERYTHING WAS A LIE! EVERYTHING!"

The reason why Link was so angry was because this was the moment he decided to avenge his parents. This is when he decided to join the Hyrulean knights. Little did he know, he was doing exactly what the tyrants in the kingdom wanted him to do.

A darkness engulfed Link and his surroundings. He floated aimlessly in this abyss. Everything felt sad, terrible, and pointless to him. There was no more reason to live anymore. Anything he had ever tried to do in his life made it worse. He was giving up on himself. He curled up to hug his knees and began to cry. The darkness felt as though it would span an eternity.

He thought, _There is no more hope, no more joy… Why is there anything? Why do I need to suffer so much? Why, why, why, why, why?! _with the last of his thoughts echoing enduringly about his abyssal existential quandary.

He wanted to run away and escape so badly, but he couldn't. This nightmare was his only reality now. His head began to spin and he started seeing hallucinations. There were flashes of the four guards that he injured, his burning home, his parents' funeral, the prison cell he was locked in, the strange eye of the Sheikahs, and many other dark images he may have remembered from bad moments in the past. It was the culmination of every one of his worst experiences all put into one nightmare.

Link had only one wish now.

"Kill me…"

A warm and loving hand he felt on his left shoulder shattered the air of the agonizing ordeal. The hand washed the chaotic nightmare away in the way that water cleans dirt off a porcelain plate. It was a perfect kind of clean that left no traces of darkness. He opened his eyes and looked to find that it was his mother kneeling to his left. Another hand touched his right shoulder. Link turned and saw that his father was also crouching down next to him on his right. Link realized what they were telling him. They didn't care what Link had done, or what his motives might have been. Their love was for him, not his actions. They just wanted to see him happy.

Link and his parents stood up. As they did so, the infinite ocean appeared below them again.

His parents looked at him with the same happy look from a while ago, but this time, they started waving at him. Link knew where this was going. He knew that they would eventually have to join Drake.

As expected, his parents began to diffuse into white lights that drifted into the sky. Link waved at them while he silently cried. This was the first time he was really saying goodbye to them. The death of his parents was something he could not come to peace with until now. It felt real this time; Link was not going to meet them again.

He had finally accepted their deaths.

After staring at the sky for a while, Link brought his attention back down and saw before him a dark version of himself. He wore the same hero's outfit but was colored in black. His eyes were red, and his hair was dirty white, just like in his other nightmare. He held a sword in his left hand. The sword was black from tip to hilt with a red gem at the base of the blade. This Dark Link did not do much other than just stand there. Suddenly, after staring at the sword long enough, the dark shining maiden's face flashed in front of his vision, a steely look in her bright red eyes.

Link blacked out at this point.


	5. Chapter 5: Zelda's Community

Chapter 5 Zelda's Community

Link awoke with a very clear mind for the first time in what felt like weeks. He was lying on his side in a fetal position. Time was a mystery to him; it could have been any time of the day on any day of the week and he wouldn't have had any clue.

The first thing Link noticed was that he was still in the same red-purple tent that he had collapsed in. Someone had put a pillow under his head and a blanket over him while he was asleep. The tent was dimly lit by a lantern hung from the ceiling. Through the dim light, he could see that there was someone lying in front of him. It was Zelda.

She too, was lying in a fetal position, facing Link. She was peacefully asleep upon a pillow and under a blanket as well. Link couldn't help but notice how cute she looked. Her eyes and mouth made her sleeping position look like that of a baby's. Her golden hair lay gently across her face and the blanket enveloping her in warmth. After gazing at her for some time, he heard a familiar voice.

"It is the first time she has slept for two days." Said a dry and raspy old lady.

It was Impa. She was sitting on a small stool at the foot of their sleeping mats.

Link sat up, yawned, and stretched his arms. He felt fresh and rejuvenated.

"Oh man! How long was I asleep?" Link asked as his yawn was ending.

"I would say… about one week."

"One whole week?! Wow… " Link thought about it, and in his dream it actually felt longer than a week.

"You came down with a strong and unnatural fever. Zelda took care of you. She felt personally responsible for your sickness. She gave you food and water, wet your head, changed your clothes, and bathed you."

Link looked at his clothes and realized that he was wearing something different than the prison uniform he had on when he fell asleep. He felt a little embarrassed that Zelda had bathed and changed him, but he looked at her as she slept silently, and the embarrassment faded away to be taken by gratitude.

"She worked tirelessly to get you better, even bringing in a great healer from town. There was not much she could do. Your sickness was emotional and could not be cured physically. But it looks as though you have found the cure for yourself."

Link stared at Impa for some time, thinking about his dream. After a while, he started feeling very hungry. He stood up and asked, "Is there any food I can eat?"

Impa answered, "If you go outside, you will see that there is a long table where the community has gathered to eat breakfast. Every meal is like this. Each family pitches in like a potluck and then we as a community all eat together."

Link nodded and walked outside. The cave was brighter than the night he entered. More torches were lit, and large torches on tripods were placed at certain intervals along the cavern to light the way. A ray of light beamed out from the hole in the ceiling, providing light and a measurement of time to the inhabitants. The general color of the cavern was red-orange clay. Large clay pillars placed a set distance apart from each other supported the ceiling, about twenty feet off the ground. It looked like there were designated areas on the edges of the cavern for tents to be set up. There were groups of children running around having fun, but most of the people were gathered in the middle around a long wooden table that was packed with food from one end to the other. From a distance, it looked like total chaos as the people grabbed what food they could in an all-out frenzy. As Link started walking towards the table he noticed that the entrance of the cavern was across the way from Impa's tent.

The structure seemed to make basic sense to him now. From the entrance, on either side was where the people of the community pitched the tents. In the middle, there was a table long enough to host all families at once for meals or meetings, and at the end stood the tent of the wise woman whom people would go to for medicine or guidance. It was a clever design to say the least.

Once Link got close enough to the table, the people who were eating started offering him all kinds food ranging from bread, bacon, ham, omelets, milk, to salads, fruits, or juices. Link was offered more than he could handle, and then bit off more than he could chew. He would go on to eat so much that he would not even be hungry again until dinner. It was an incredibly delicious meal unlike anything he could recall eating. So many things were different in this community; everyone was free and happy; happy to be with each other. The most notable experience that Link had was the hospitality that the people had towards him; it was unlike anything he'd ever seen. The entirety of the community had been either banished, or sentenced to death by the Kingdom; and yet, they displayed unending generosity even when it came to the most important of resources.

"These people are different," he thought. "Being away from the Castle Town has changed them."

Link observed the interactions of the community, specifically their harmonious way of dealing with issues. No one seemed to be fighting, and everything appeared to be a joke. Link couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else at some of the funny arguments these people would have over missing drinks or hogging up the good food. It was a family he had always longed for.

Even though it took a while, Link fit in very well. He joined in on the fun and even played with the children after both breakfast and lunch.

Sometime in the afternoon, Link sat against one of the pillars, totally exhausted from running around with the kids. A young man about his age was walking by. He had short black hair and was dressed in loose, raggedy, clothing. The way he walked hastily made him look like he was busy doing some chores. He stopped and looked at Link, and then after some kind of recognition, he suddenly ran towards him. Link recognized a familiar face as the young man approached.

"Clyde!" Link said in a lively voice.

"Link! How've you been? How did you get here?"

"I'm fine. Long story short, I got arrested and Zelda brought me here."

"You got arrested!? What did you do?"

"I… kinda got carried away while defending an old lady."

"Fighting off guards huh? Did you get em' good?"

Link put on a smirk and said, "Yeah… pretty good…"

"So when did you get here?"

"About a week ago, apparently… I got ill as soon as I arrived and Zelda nursed me back to health."

"Oh! So that explains why The Princess has been running around in a hurry these past few days. I was starting to get worried that something was terribly wrong. Where is she right now?"

"I think she's in the tent over there, still sleeping" Link pointed to Impa's tent.

"You really burned her out, huh? You must have been quite a handful Link."

"Yeah… so how did things go for you? Last I heard, you disappeared after Drake died."

"…"

Clyde was hesitant to talk about it. "Well… These guards came and tried to rob my house. They arrested my parents, and I managed to get away. I ran to Drake and asked him to help me hold off these guards. When we got to the house, Drake went straight to the guards and I went to save my family. After I untied my family, I ran inside the house and saw that Drake had already been killed. We tried to make a quick escape, but the guards cornered us. We were arrested. Zelda bailed us out in the middle of the night. I assume it was similar in your case as well."

"Yeah… right before my execution too."

The mention of Drake's death brought a gloom to the conversation. Both Link and Clyde stared at the ground for a while, then Clyde said in a happier tone, "Hey, I've got some work to do so I'm gonna go now. It was nice seeing you, Link."

Link replied in the same tone, "It was nice seeing you, too."

Clyde walked on his way to one of the tents.

Link and Clyde's friendship was more of an acquaintanceship. They knew each other through Drake, but they did not know each other well enough to be called friends, not by Link's standards, at least.

After sitting down for a while longer, Link realized that he had not talked to Zelda since he woke up. He decided to go check up on her.

When Link entered Impa's tent, he was surprised to see that Zelda was no longer there. Impa still sat on the same stool as that morning.

"If you're looking for Zelda, you're too late."

"Where is she?"

"During the day, she has to stay at the castle to hide what she does at night."

"Hmmm… so, will she be back tonight?"

"I don't know. She may come, or she may not. It depends on what agendas she has to handle at the castle and whether or not there are prisoners she has to release."

"Can I not go out and meet her?"

"You are now a fugitive. You cannot be seen by any citizen of Hyrule."

"So all we can do is wait, huh?"

"Yes, that is all we can do."

Link felt kind of sad about this news. He wanted to meet Zelda and thank her for what she had done.

"How did I miss her? When did she leave?"

"She left right after breakfast, but she was in a hurry. Anyone could have easily missed her."

"Was she… okay?" He worriedly asked.

"Oh, she was just fine!" Impa wanted to let Link know that he had not been too much of a burden to Zelda.

"All right… That's good." He sounded somewhat contented with her reply.

Link turned so as to walk out of the tent but then remembered something.

"Impa, back in the prison cell, Zelda told me that she needed me for something. What did she mean?"

"Well, you're just going to have to ask her for yourself."

Link was a little agitated at this answer but decided to go along with it.

"…Fine," he replied at last.

Once he walked out of the tent, he couldn't get himself to think about anything other than Zelda. "How do I get to her?" he thought. "What if she doesn't come around tonight?" For some time, he sat against the same pillar staring at the ground until someone showed up.

"Hey, who are you?"

The voice came from a man who sounded somewhat aged, but managed to keep a light voice. He sounded clever and smart, a playful intellectual. When Link looked up and saw him, the first thing he noticed was the man's beard. It was gray, messy, stretched all around his chin, and made him look like a beggar. His clothes were worn out like most of the other people living in this community, but he wore them with style somehow. He looked like he was in his fifties, but he kept a pretty lanky build for his age. He almost looked thinner than Link. He had on a t-shirt that used to be white, encased by a small green vest. His pants also used to be white, and were worn out around the ankles and tied with an old string around the waist. He wore old leather sandals, and fingerless wool gloves that looked like they were found in a garbage can. His hair was almost as messy as his beard, and the look on his face conveyed the exact same personality that his voice did: a wisecrack joker who would deceive others into buying a defective product.

"Link." Link didn't feel like saying much to him.

"Soooo Link, when did you get here?"

"A week ago." Link remained stoic, staring at the floor.

"Why the long face? Something wrong?"

"No."

The man stared at Link for a while, trying to analyze him and find the best way to get on his good side.

"Saaayyy, you have the build of a grade-A archer. Have you done any archery? Perhaps some swordsmanship?"

"I have." Link purposefully made his answer vague.

"Sooo, Swordsmanship or Archery?"

"Both."

"Well that's perfect! My name is Lance Luxor, and I happen to be a grade-A _inventor_. Swords and arrows are my all-time specialty!"

"Right…" Link thought this guy was a hoax. 'Lance Luxor?' that sounded made up, as well as the coincidence that he specializes in both swords and arrows.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. 'No way this guy is the real deal.' But wait till you seeeeeee THIS! (Ta da daaa daaaaaaaa) (*Link opening chest jingle)" Lance produced from behind his back what looked like an arrow with a string tied to the tail around its feathers.

"I can tell you're a real expert." Link said sarcastically.

"Please, hold your criticisms. This arrow, right here, can grab onto any surface. THAT'S RIGHT, ANY surface at all." He made many hand gestures to help illustrate the functionality of the product. "Once it is latched on, this string right here will allow you to climb up to anywhere the arrow can go. Usually, I sell this baby for 50 rupees, but for you, I'll bring it down to a whopping 10 rupees!"

Link stared at Lance for a while and was actually surprised at the effort put into the sales pitch. There was no way he was going to buy it though.

"Have you ever heard of a 'Clawshot'?"

"Ummm… no… what's that?" Lance asked.

"It's a grappling instrument used by Hyrulean knights and guards to climb to high places effortlessly. It fires a three-pronged claw that can hook on to most surfaces and then immediately pulls the shooter using a chain towards the targeted spot. Not only does it do that, but it can also be used to disarm opponents or arrest people."

"Hmmm… I have yet to see this… 'Clawshot', but-"

Link interrupted by adding, "Also, that string tied around the arrow is much too thick and it is tied around the feathers. The string would mess up the aerodynamics of the arrow making it impossible to be accurate."

"Jeez, tough crowd, well if you didn't like that, how about… THIS! (Ta da daa daaaaa)" Lance brought out from behind his back what looked like regular work gloves with honey slathered all over the palms. "With this baby, you won't ever lose grip on your swords. I've scientifically designed it to be un-slippable! You won't find this anywhere else, my friend."

Link quipped, "I wonder why?"

"I will give you these gloves for the low, low, price of just 20 rupees and to top it off, I'll throw in this OFFICIAL Luxor Blade Sharpener for FREE!" The sharpener looked like a small stone he just found in the forest.

"Nope, sorry, don't want it." Link just wanted to be left alone.

"Weeeeeell, how abou-"

"Uncleee!" A young boy shouted from behind Lance.

Lance turned around with a look of terror on his face. "Not now, Humphrey. Uncle is busy with a customer." He tried to whisper so Link couldn't hear.

"The slingshot you sold me SUCKS! It broke on the third shot! I want my 50 rupees back!"

Link, stepping in on the conversation said, "You sold your own nephew a slingshot?"

Lance turned back to Link while holding off Humphrey with one hand and said, "We'll continue our business later. Too-da-loo!" He picked up Humphrey and ran far into the distance.


	6. Chapter 6: Linda

Chapter 6 Linda

Link, still in disbelief of what he had just witnessed, decided to go out into the forest for some fresh air. Though he wasn't sure if he was allowed to, he thought that after a week of being underground, anyone would agree that going outside was just what he needed.

Link walked through the crowds of people doing their daily activities until he reached the entrance to the dark corridor. Link took one last look at the community and then started down the cold passage. He did not have a torch because he did not want to be seen, but he could still feel his way through until he reached the end. The sounds of life slowly went away the farther he went down the hallway. After a while, he was not sure if there was an end, but then he reached a wall. Link tried to remember how the wall opened up for a while.

He thought, "The melody! THAT melody that Zelda played… How did it go again?"

He tried many renditions of what he thought the melody sounded like, but none of them worked. After giving up on trying to do a melody, he decided to wait for the next person to enter or exit so they could come by and open the way for him. For a while he waited and contemplated. He played with hand gestures and imagined many wondrous stories. When the place got dull, he thought, "This is stupid. How am I supposed to meet Zelda if she'll only show up at night?" He decided to head back to the cavern, but just then, he saw a faint light coming from the cavern.

A young woman about his age was walking with a torch in one hand while balancing a basket on her head with the other. She had straight violet hair and a tight red dress. One would notice a slender figure in her sassy walk. When Link got a closer look at her, he noticed the cute little freckles on her face, and a shy expression in her uneasy brown eyes.

"Hello? Who are you?" She said with a tremble in her voice. She was alarmed at meeting a random person alone in the dark.

Link, noticing this tremble, said, "There's no need to worry. I'm just a little lost trying to remember the melody to open the wall."

"Oh. Well, it goes like this." The tremble in her had voice disappeared, but there was still a shyness about her. She began to whistle the same melody Zelda played the night that Link was brought in. Link memorized it to the best of his abilities.

The walls parted to the sides, revealing an incline that led to the surface. Link saw the bright sunlight and was temporarily blinded by it.

"Yep, you better get used to it, newcomer, happens every time. By the way, you still haven't answered my question."

"Hmmm? What question?" Link had completely forgotten. He opened his eyes and saw her face.

"What's your name?" She had a sassy tone now, and a look on her face to match.

"My name's… Link," he said slowly as he turned his attention to the outside.

"Well, MY name is Linda."

Her last comment was somewhat disregarded by Link as he walked out into the forest and was baffled by the beauty he beheld. The bright sunlight brought life to everything. There were flowers all over what was visible of Hyrule Field. A cool wind sent the grass waving with a lush green color. Birds and tiny insects could be heard making ambient noise. Nearby there was a source of water, he could tell by the sound. Surrounding them in most directions were great and fruitful trees that revealed a deeper beauty of nature with their flourishing leaves and colorful overgrowth. The smell of the forest was a combination of dirt, trees, and water. The sky was light blue with several clumps of clouds scattered across. The sun came from a westerly angle which indicated that it was sometime in the mid-afternoon.

"Wow…" Link said, still in a trance.

"What?! Never been outside before?" She now sounded a little annoyed.

"I have, I just… don't remember it being this beautiful." Link then closed his eyes so as to heighten his senses of smell and hearing.

Linda was baffled at Link's reaction to the forest. It seemed perfectly normal to her, nothing special. "You must have been down there a long time, huh?"

"Just a week… but perhaps it _was_ longer than that in _some_ way."

"What do you- Ahh never mind." Linda got fed up and went on her way into the forest.

Link turned and said, "Wait! Where are you going?"

Without turning around, Linda answered, "To get fruit!" There was some animosity in her voice.

Link started jogging towards her. "Can I help? I'm pretty good at climbing trees."

"Don't you have something else you have to do?"

"No, I'm free 'till nightfall. So how about it?"

Still without turning around, she yelled, "Yeah, WHATEVER!" She waved one arm in the air so as to show that she 'didn't care.'

Once Link caught up to Linda, he slowed down to her pace.

Link turned to her while walking and asked, "So how long have you been living underground?"

Linda said monotonously, "Five months."

"Wow! So what happened so that you had to live here?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well, I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

A pause allowed the air to calm down substantially.

She was hesitant at first, but then went on. "My family was the target of the Hyrule guards one night. We managed to escape through secret passages, but when we got to the plains, we were stranded with no food or water. After a few days of wandering around and avoiding the creatures in the night, a strange hooded person found us and brought us here. That person turned out to be Princess Zelda. She went on a search for my family when she heard that we had disappeared. She… really cares about us." Linda had gone silent and stared at the floor while she walked.

Link too became quiet.

A few minutes passed before Linda looked up and said, "Well, here we are!"

They came upon an orchard with various trees, vines, and bushes that bore fruit, berries, vegetables, or beans. Link helped as Linda stocked up a wide variety of food. The selection covered every nutrient a human would need to survive. Along the way, they would make jokes and laugh with each other. It was truly a wonderful experience for both of them. For Link, it was a chance to connect with someone his age, and a girl to top it off. The joy he was feeling was hard to match and he hoped that Linda felt the same.

After wondering for some time, Link asked, "So what is this place?"

Linda, who had been picking apples off of the ground, turned to Link with a pleasantly surprised look.

"What do you mean?" She said with a funny expression.

"I mean, were these trees always here? Did someone plant them? How was this made possible?"

"Oh, you really ARE a newcomer. Well, newcomer, I'll have you know that Princess Zelda set ALL of this up. She picked the spot, planted these trees, _and_ created the cavern. She pretty much did EVERYTHING around here."

"I can tell you're very fond of her."

"Well she's ONLY the backbone of this entire society."

"She… sounds like an interesting person."

"Yeah, sure, 'Interesting' in the same way a typhoon is a 'light rain'. I mean, she has to oppose her own FATHER the KING and sneak off in the middle of the night to save TOTAL strangers that everyone else has given up on! THAT is a HERO if I have EVER seen one."

"So, how often does she come by?"

"It depends… Sometimes she comes back every day for a week, and sometimes she disappears for a month. I guess it depends on her availability at the Kingdom. It's a hard job being a Princess, you know!?"

"Yeah… so do you think she'll come back tonight?"

"Why, huh? Linkie-poo has a little crush?" She had a funny look on her face.

Link blushed. He turned his face and looked at Linda through the corner of his eye. "Umm… no… I just want to say… Thank you! That's right! I wanna say thank you. I still haven't talked to her since I woke up."

"Rrrriiiiight… Princess Zelda was here every day for the past week. So you were asleep for HOW long?"

"Apparently the whole week… I know that sounds far-fetched! But there was a magical song! The old lady played it on a flute! And, and it was an emotional sickness… Awww, man…" Link's story was falling apart. He realized how crazy it sounded.

"Okaaay… soooo when you woke up, weren't you… really hungry or something?"

"Look! It sounds crazy but it's true! Zelda was the one who nursed me while I was asleep. That's why she was here every day. Just ask her."

"Alright, loverboy. Whatever you say." She looked and noticed that the sun was setting. "Oh my, it's getting quite late. We should go now."

They both headed out of the garden back towards the funny stone. The path they walked was now westbound, and the sun was setting in front of them. The trees gave off an impression that they were going to sleep. Though it was the same path they walked before, a different beauty was prevalent in the scenery. In the distance, Link could see the high towers of Hyrule Castle. The Great Plains now reflected the warming orange hue of the sun. It was a relaxing sight as opposed to the enthralling view of earlier that day.

Link walked past the stone to view the field more clearly. Linda was waiting at the stone. She whistled the melody to open the path.

"Aren't you coming in?"

Link, still distracted by the view, turned around slowly with a look on his face that asked the question, "What was that?"

"I SAID, 'Aren't you coming in?'" she said in a laughing manner.

"Well, I was planning on waiting for Zelda."

"What?! But she might not even show up tonight!"

"I've just got this question I have to ask her."

For a while she paused, contemplating what to say. A relief sighed over her and she decided to let Link do what he wanted without question. "All right, loverboy, whatever makes you happy."

"Goodnight, Linda."

"See ya, newcomer!" She waved in a gentle manner, and proceeded down into the cave.

Link waved back and turned around shortly after the doors closed. He had one question in mind:

"What does Zelda need me for?"


	7. Chapter 7: Three Gems

Chapter 7 Three Gems

The beautiful golden sunset slowly faded into an equally scenic, serene nightfall. Link sat against the stone staring at the starry heavens. A new moon left the glittering lights to illuminate the night. For hours Link could stare into the sky and be dazzled by its appearance. Within a minute, hours passed by, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

He slept deeply and peacefully that night.

Link awoke lying flat on his back with the sun blaring in his eyes. He was surprised to see that there were no clouds in the sky, nor were there trees in his peripherals. A lift of his head to check his surroundings revealed to him that he was lying on the infinite ocean.

"It's a dream," he thought.

The lack of motivation caused him to drop his head back. He didn't feel like doing anything other than lie and feel the serenity of the ocean. An impulse rushed over him all of a sudden. He felt like he could dive into the ocean. In response to the impulse, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and began to sink into the ocean headfirst. A wave of coolness accompanied the water as he sank from head to toe. There, an even greater calmness swept over him. He had no need to breathe. Nothing could disturb this moment. His emotions glowed with sweet happiness.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Zelda floating before him. She too, was feeling this calmness; Link could see it from the look on her face. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were held together as if she was praying. She opened her eyes, her smile grew, and she cheerfully grabbed Link's hands so that all four hands formed one bundle. With eyes that stared into Link she then spoke: "Link, Link, Link, LINK!"

Link awoke to the shouts of an agitated Princess.

"Link! What are you doing out here?!"

Though he was still in a daze from waking up could tell by the voice that it was Zelda. Her repeated attempts at trying to wake him up brought her to a crouching position right next to him.

Link said in a drowsy voice, "I was… waiting for you, Princess."

"You are a very heavy sleeper. Do you know that?" She said in a slightly annoyed voice.

Link laughed and said, "Well, at least I can sleep now."

"Come on, let's get up." She insisted, not getting the implications of his failed joke.

A yawn and a stretch accompanied Link's slow get up while Zelda quickly opened the path with a rushed rendition of the melody played on her ocarina.

Behind her was a horse pulling a carriage. She led the horse down the cave.

"Isn't it too narrow for the carriage?" Link asked mid-yawn.

"No. The path is enchanted so that it gives enough space for whomever is passing through."

Link followed alongside Zelda into the cave. To his surprise, the path was now just wide enough to fit the carriage through.

On their way in, Link happened to look at the strange stone that rested above the path. A question came across his mind.

"So, is this stone enchanted as well?"

Zelda's responses were usually straight to the point and matter-of-fact. She didn't quite care about pleasantries; perhaps she was simply sick of being formal. When she talked, she was direct and concise; her words were well chosen and articulated.

"That is a Stone of Truth, one of many mysterious stones scattered across the land that seem to be imbued with a form of consciousness. No one really knows their origins or purpose and the effects they have on people vary from person to person. Impa has an ability to speak with these Stones and with it, she requested a secret cavern to be created for people to live in."

"So who exactly is Impa?"

"Impa used to be a high member of the Hyrule council. She was a spiritual eye for the King. In times of trouble, the King would turn to her for advice. It has been that way for a long time. A King without his spiritual advisor is unheard of in our history."

"Why is she all the way out here then?"

"About a year ago, a foreigner came from the desert. His name is Ganondorf, and he showed up as a political representative of the Gerudo. He claimed that the Gerudo now wanted a say in the decisions of Hyrule Kingdom. Hyrule could give no reason to disregard his request. He held a Gerudo Emblem to prove his legitimacy.

"Shortly after, Ganondorf was made a councilman of the Kingdom… And then, that's when everything changed. I was about 8 years old at the time. My father suddenly became cold and impersonal towards me. He just locked himself up in his room and was only ever seen at political meetings. My mother, the Queen, had died when I was younger so I had no one else to turn to except for Impa. Impa had been around as far as I could remember. She was like a grandmother to me, and a very close friend of the King.

"Once Ganondorf showed up though, something changed in my father. It is Impa's and my suspicion that Ganondorf has power over my father's mind. When Impa brought this point up at one of the meetings, she was rejected. Further persistence of this point led them to banish Impa from the council…"

Zelda became hesitant about what she would say next, but then decided to go ahead and say it. The manner in which she talked changed at this point. She seemed more worried about her implications, and some feelings began to show.

"Impa refused to leave, and was forcibly removed from the castle. She tried to get back in repeatedly. This tested the patience of the council to the point where they ordered her arrest."

She hesitated once more before adding, "She sought refuge in the humble home of a carpenter. It was your parents that saved her, Link. That's when… when…"

Link remained quiet at this new information. He thought it through to make sense in his head.

"So, my dad and mom kept Impa safe, and they paid their lives for it."

"Yes, Link. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before…"

Even though it was dark in the cave, Link could tell by her voice that she was breaking down into tears.

Link grabbed Zelda's hand as they walked.

"It's okay Zelda, I've made my peace with my parents. You don't have to feel bad."

"O-okay, (sniff) thank you… Link…" Zelda said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Though he told her it was okay, she still cried for some time before she managed to calm down and regain her composure.

Once they came upon the cavern, Zelda led the horse to what looked like an empty tent. After stopping the horse, she walked to the back end of the carriage, stuck her head through the cloth and said, "All right everyone, we're here now."

Zelda stepped back from the carriage so as to allow a family of four to step out. First, the mother stepped out. She carried two children in her arms and walked straight into the tent. Their clothes had burn marks on them. A bulky man then stepped out and bowed at Princess Zelda's feet.

Zelda bent down and picked the man up onto his feet, then proceeded to hug him.

"Thank you Princess Zelda. I can't even imagine where we would be without you. Thank you, Thank you so much…"

"Gregory, it is I who should be apologizing to you for the actions of my guards. I am sorry for the loss of your home."

Zelda and Gregory both disbanded from the hug and he went his way into the tent.

Zelda started leading the horse to a stable.

"What happened to them?" Link asked.

"The guards targeted their residence. When they refused entry into their home the guards decided to burn their house to get them out. I ended up having to intervene by force. After knocking the guards unconscious, I had to break in and get them out. I managed to get them into a carriage and sneak them past the gates. Today was far too dangerous. The guards are getting more daring."

Link helped Zelda undo the carriage and tie the horse to the stable.

"Hey, Zelda, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"The night you broke me out of prison, you said that you needed me for something. What is it you need me for?"

"Let's go to Impa's tent. I'll explain everything there."

When they entered the tent, Impa was still sitting in the same stool as that morning. The layout of the tent was the same as that morning as well. Just three mats laid out on the ground. Upon their entry, she looked up to see them. She didn't seem surprised at their presence.

"Ahhhh, Princess Zelda and Link, What brings you here?"

Zelda replied, "I need to spend the night here. Also, I brought in a family of four. I had to save them from a fire, but I don't think there were any injuries."

"Always the caring one, aren't you Zelda?"

"Just doing my job. Uhhggg." She collapsed onto one of the mats. "I'm soooo tired." She said in a whinny voice.

Zelda lied on the mat for some time before she remembered Link's question. She sat up and exclaimed, "Wait! You had a question." while she pointed at Link.

Link had taken his sandals off, sat on his mat, and was ready to listen to Zelda.

"Well Link, as I have told you, it is our suspicion that my father is under some kind of hypnosis controlled by Ganondorf. I have studied the strongest forms of hypnosis or mind control and have tried to undo it by my own power, but I can't do it somehow. Whatever grip he has on my father, it is beyond my current abilities. What I did find though, is an ancient scroll that told of three gems that, when all gathered together, allow the bearer to gain Incredible magical abilities. I think with this power, I will be able to undo the mind control that Ganondorf has on my dad so that he can expose Ganondorf for the criminal that he is."

"So where do I come in?" Link asked.

"Now, to get these crystals, we have to go to three separate temples scattered across the land of Hyrule. These temples, according to the artifact, have guardians." Zelda began to recite an excerpt from the scroll by memory

'Within each temple a guardian awaits,

Their powers surpass that of man,

But the skill of a fighter and wit of a sorcerer,

May keep these guardians at hand.

"I can be the sorcerer, and you can be that fighter."

"But why me? I'm sure that there are other, greater, warriors in the Kingdom."

"That may be true, but the scroll also dictates that the sorcerer and fighter need to be pure of heart or else they will fail."

'However strong these warriors may be,

Their prowess could be of legend

A darkness at heart will lose them their odds

Their first battle will mean their end.'

"You are the only warrior that has fought for the side of true justice. If there are any warriors pure of heart left in Hyrule, then you have to be one."

"Are you sure? This sounds extremely dangerous."

"Everyday, the people of Hyrule live in fear of a tyrannical rule. It will only get worse as time goes on. I have delayed this journey for a year, and now that I have found you, I have a means of fulfilling the prophesy of this scroll. With you, I think we can do it."

Link paused for a while to contemplate his decision. "Am I really the first one you found?"

"No." This caught Link off guard.

"Drake was the first one we found."

"I see…" Link thought for a while. This was the biggest decision of his life so far. This moment was badly timed too, he had just found a purpose to live, and now he immediately has to push his luck to save Hyrule. He thought to himself, _"There are families just like the one I saw tonight, just like mine… I can't let them suffer as I have…"_

"Fine, I'll do it."

Zelda suddenly cheered and said, "Yes! Finally. Link I cannot thank you enough. I will make preparations for supplies of food and water tomorrow and we'll leave two days from now, in the morning."

She reclined back into her bed; Link did the same. "Goodnight Link, sleep well, get rest and eat a lot tomorrow, you are going to need your strength."

"Where are we heading first?"

"To the desert. We are going to get the gem of Din's Raging Fire."

Link fell asleep shortly. He thought about the journey he had agreed to take.

"Pure of Heart…"


	8. Chapter 8: Dark Reasons

Chapter 8 Dark Reasons

Link awoke from a dreamless night feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. A look to his right revealed that Zelda had left already, and Impa was nowhere to be found. So he got up and walked outside.

The cavern looked empty and the lights were still dim. Link could hear some metal clanking at the center of the cavern and vaguely saw a small fire. Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to investigate what was going on.

While walking towards the center, he saw large pots hanging over fires and one person tending to them. When he got close, he noticed that it was Impa doing the cooking. Link was refreshed by the delicious smell emanating from the pots.

Without much thought he enthusiastically asked, "So, what's cooking?"

The old lady answered, "Oh, you like the smell? It is a family recipe for beef stew."

"It smells delicious!"

"Oh, well, you'll have to wait a while. It'll take another two hours to finish."

"Two hours?! When will that be?"

"At around six o'clock, and can you keep it down? I wouldn't want you to disturb anyone's sleep."

After some quick calculations, he came to a realization. "It's four in the morning?!"

"Shhhhhh…"

In a whisper he said, "Sorry. It's four in the morning?"

"Yes, if you want, you may go back to sleep and I'll wake you for breakfast."

"No, that's fine. I'm not tired anyway."

She continued to stir one of the pots. There was a long pause wherein Link thought about what might be a good conversation starter.

"So you knew my parents?"

Without turning around she replied, "Why, yes. They were the most lovely couple I've known."

"You know, you don't have to feel bad about their deaths. I've already come to peace with that."

"I know."

"You know?"

"Yes. Remember, I can see you, Link."

Link thought about what she said. A similar effect occurred the last time she'd said it as well.

"'I see you.' So she knows everything about me?" he thought.

She interrupted his thoughts by adding, "It is really only Zelda who held guilt for that. I am glad though, that you were able to clear that up with her. It had been haunting her for quite some time."

"So… it looks like I won't be able to hide anything from you, then."

Impa didn't say anything, but merely nodded.

"Well, since last night, I've had this problem in my thoughts."

Link paused for a while to see if Impa had any input so far, but Impa remained sitting quietly and continued to stir the stew.

"Zelda mentioned that the warrior had to be 'Pure of Heart.'"

Link once again paused to listen to anything Impa had to say, but she again did not say anything and went on stirring her stew.

"I just don't know if I have that in me."

"But what can you possibly know of your heart? People try to analyze many capabilities of the heart and wind up becoming confused. A pure heart cannot be fully measured, so to say; not with the mind at least."

Link felt stupid for trying to measure ideas he had not even come to know yet. At the same time, he realized that what Impa was saying could mean that he had a 'pure heart.'

Impa added, "I'll tell you one thing, though." This caught his attention so strongly that he locked eyes onto the back of her head eager for an answer.

"I would rather trust a man who constantly questions his own heart, than a man who is convinced that he is on the side of justice. For the man who questions, when fooled to work for evil, can undo his ties and return to good."

"Whoa…" He said as he analyzed the implications of Impa's saying.

"So you're saying I'm pure of heart?"

"I didn't say that."

"Oh."

"The important lesson to keep from what I said is that questioning yourself is the only weapon you have against the darkness growing within yourself. Look inside, Link, and you will find this 'Pure Heart.'"

Link then lied down on the floor to relax. "Pure Heart… What does that even mean?"

"You know." Impa said as if it were an obvious fact.

"I know?"

"Everyone knows. Within each of us is this pure heart. What the heart is exactly cannot be fully described or understood through words. It tells us what we think is right or wrong, acting as a natural moral compass that resides in every being of the universe. In essence, the Pure Heart is like a gateway to the Goddess Hylia. It is a manifestation of her will that resides in each and every one of us that drives us forward."

"So how do we identify the Pure Heart? How did you decide that me and Zelda have the will of the Goddess?"

"It is impossible to know. You can call it faith, but our decision does not go without reason. Look at the world we live in. There is no way the Goddess wills its people to live in fear. What we are fighting for is the end of tyranny and evil. That is what my heart tells me. And I think that deep down inside, that is your desire as well."

Link thought for a moment. Everything he wanted was outlined in what Impa had just described but something was eating at him; something that just didn't seem right.

He asked, "So what of Darkness and evil, then? We just throw them away? They are creations of the Goddess as well. Their existences cannot be reasonless."

"I don't know if the Darkness has reason. I believe it does though. Sure it is terrible, and it causes suffering, but why would it exist otherwise? I have faith in Hylia, though she has not graced me with eyes to see this 'reason.' Perhaps she will grace you with this sight someday. Only time can tell."

"The darkness has reason…" All this talk was starting to make him tired again.

"Go ahead and sleep."

"Okay…" Link stood up and walked back to the tent. Along the way, he was still puzzled over Impa's explanation.

"So that dark version of me I saw in that dream… what is _his_ purpose then?"

He lay down on the bed and lost himself in analysis and very soon drifted into sleep.

When Link woke up, he had a light headache and felt like he still didn't quite understand what Impa was trying to explain.

"Was that a dream?" he thought.

"Good morning, young philosopher!"

Link looked to see who it was. I was Impa sticking her head through the tent entrance.

"Rise and shine! Breakfast is ready!"

While slowly getting up, Link said, "Man, my head hurts!"

"Don't worry about your head, it'll get better."

"I'm not sure if I got what you said earlier."

"I think your heart got it quite easily; I don't see you complaining about your heart aching. But right now, I'd ignore the pain in your head and think of the pain in your stomach."

Link then realized that he was extremely hungry.

Impa added, "Are you sure that brain is working right?" and then left the tent.

"I honestly don't know…" Link said to himself.


	9. Chapter 9: The Troop

Chapter 9 The Troop

After Link had enjoyed the most delicious beef stew of his life, he decided to play some games with the children. The games ranged from tag, hide and seek, or staring contests, to Goron racing, Sheiks and Guards, or pin the tail on the Octorok. Once they had finished lunch, they decided to do some 'archery.' So they grabbed their little bows and ran outside. Link grabbed his Academy Bow and some real arrows and tagged along behind them.

Link, upon exiting the tunnel saw about six of the kids shooting little sticks from their makeshift bows at a tree. The sticks just bounced off. To them, it was a glorious shooting range, but to Link, it was a pathetic excuse for what could vaguely be considered 'archery.'

Without any of the kids seeing, Link armed his bow from behind them and shot an arrow that pierced an apple, then stuck it to the trunk of the tree. The kids all stopped what they were doing and slowly turned - partially scared, but mostly excited at who could have done that.

The first thing each of them saw was Link, leaning on his bow with one hand and twirling an arrow in the other. He had a proud grin on his face.

All the kids broke out and rushed Link with a bombardment of expressions of surprise, praise, and requests to learn from him.

The first to request lessons was Kyle. He was the oldest by three weeks and was a self-proclaimed group leader. Whatever he wanted to do, the rest would follow. He shouted, "Link! You gotta teach us!"

Link, still trying to quell the mob of children rushing at him like a celebrity, decided to calm them down by telling them that he would teach them 'some basic stuff.' This did not do much to slow them down: instead, it made his situation even more complicated. They started jumping and grabbing at his bow and arrows.

Link finally decided to jump back and shout, "Stop!"

The kids all immediately stood still and were ready to follow anything he said. This gave Link an idea.

In a manner resembling the firmness and loudness of his annoying commander in the academy he shouted, "Alright troops! Line up!"

The children surprisingly complied. They even stood still and upright like soldiers.

"You all would say that you are here because you 'want to learn archery.' That ain't true! YOU ARE HERE because… you are NOTHING!"

The kids stood attentively and listened carefully. Deep down inside Link was laughing so hard he could barely keep up his act.

"But after three weeks of training with me… you 'might' amount to something. Do you understand?!"

"Yes, Sir!" the kids said altogether. It kind of scared Link to see these kids comply with what he said so easily.

"First off, I want to see some REAL bows from the finest oak you can find, but that'll wait for another time. I know! It'll be your homework: make a quality bow. B: I want you each to make a target and paint the colors on it. The bull's eye must be exactly one inch in diameter, the next ring must be four inches in radius, and the last ring must be seven inches from center to circumference. Fourthly, I want you each to craft a set of stone-tipped arrows because we ARE going to hunt when you are ready. And lastly…"

Link thought for a moment about what he wanted them to do next and realized that there was nothing more to do. He then looked at his audience and noticed that they were showing signs of worry, as if they wouldn't be able to remember all the orders.

He continued to say, "On second thought, there's nothing else I require from you at the moment."

"Phew." The kids all sighed in relief.

"What was that?!" Link said menacingly.

"Nothing SIR!" all the kids shouted in unison.

"Good. For a second there I thought you guys were getting annoyed."

Kyle took the opportunity to say, "We would never be annoyed with _you,_ sir!"

"That's what I like to hear, because we're just getting started!" He then scanned the area for resources. "For now though, we'll use the trees as targets. By next time, I will expect bows, arrows, and targets of the highest quality. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And don't address me as 'sir.' Address me as: 'Supreme Commander Link' or for short, just 'Supreme Commander.'"

"Yes Supreme Commander!"

"So let's LINE UP!"

The rest of the afternoon consisted of Link shouting orders to teach the kids how to properly aim and shoot an arrow. Though they didn't show it, all of them really enjoyed the experience. The kids, whom Link quickly renamed 'The Troop' enjoyed this unique opportunity to act like official Hyrulean Knights and Link enjoyed his chance to finally be the one giving orders instead of taking them. It was a more enjoyable afternoon than Link could have expected.

"Well, Troop, it's been a long day. You all did exceptionally well. Sadly, I will be going on a journey tomorrow morning."

"What?" the Troop whined in unison.

"That's right, I've got some important work to do. Saving the world and stuff…"

"Awwwww."

"Pay no heed, my friends. I shall return and then we will continue your training."

"Yes Supreme Commander!"

Link turned to Kyle and called his attention. "Kyle!"

"Yes Supreme Commander!" he shouted out.

"I hereby appoint you Commander of this Troop."

"Thank You Supreme Commander! I will hold this position with the highest honor I have."

"In the off-chance that I should not return…"

The Troop let out a sorrowful sigh.

"Kyle… You shall… NOT be 'Supreme' commander. But I'll leave you in charge."

Link gave them a Hyrulean salute, which was a motion of placing your hand horizontally upon your chest with index finger pulled in, and thumb pointed upward. The look of the hand resembled half of the eagle on the Hyrulean crest. The eagle represented freedom; the gesture of placing it on the heart meant that one's heart was free. The thumb pointed upward represented the aspirations of this eagle to fly high and connect with the Goddess. It was an ingenious gesture in terms of what it represented, but the way it was being used nowadays adulterated its meaning. Any other soldier, including Link while he was in the academy, was lying with this gesture, he realized. But for the first time in his life, standing in front of the Troop, Link felt like this gesture told the truth about him.

As the Troop saluted back at their Supreme Commander, the Glory of the moment was completed. Link now saw something quite deep in what was happening before him. They didn't mean any of what they were doing. It was, in the end, a joke for all of them. This was the main difference between the Troop and the academy. In the academy, there was no questioning or understanding, but in the Troop, there was acceptance and fun. The seriousness was all an act and everyone knew it, but they went along with it just because it was more fun that way.

"Fun is the main motivator here, and fear is the only motivator there." Link thought to himself.

Link disbanded the Troop and sent them back underground.

"Good night, Supreme Commander." the Troop said while performing standing bows to show respect.

The doors to the cavern closed, leaving Link to stare at a setting sun over Hyrule castle in the distance while he reflected on his thoughts.

"There is a poison in Hyrule castle, a poison of the mind. The farther from the castle we get, the healthier and happier our people become. King Roden is not the only one in need of a cure. The darkness resides in every heart, not just Ganondorf's. Zelda, we aren't saving our Kingdom from Ganondorf, we are saving the world from our Kingdom."


	10. Chapter 10: The Desert's Calm

Chapter 10 The Desert's Calm

The rest of the day flowed smoothly and quickly. Link had his share of dinner and went to sleep early.

The next morning, he woke up to see Zelda strapping up two horses with numerous large bags just outside of the tent.

Link stood up slowly and drowsily stepped out of the tent. Once he had Zelda's attention he asked, "So when are we leaving?"

"Now." She replied without any implication of urgency.

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"What about breakfast?"

"Here." She said as she handed him a small package wrapped in leaves. Link unraveled it to find a large meat and veggie filled sandwich.

"Wow! This looks good!" Link took an enormous bite and drifted into a short ecstasy of connoisseurship.

"Who made this?" he asked.

"Me."

"What?! You are a _really_ good cook!"

Zelda giggled and added, "Well there's more where _that_ came from."

Needless to say, the remains of Zelda's sandwich did not last any more than twenty seconds in Link's hands.

"Where did you learn to cook like that? Isn't a princess supposed to be served food instead of making it on her own?"

"Yeah, well… when I was younger, I would visit Impa and most of the time she would be cooking something. It was her favorite pastime. Along the way, I picked up a lot of tips and methods for cooking."

"So, you and Impa must have been very close then."

"She's like a mother to me."

"You are very lucky to have her. I couldn't even imagine a better mother."

"Yeah… Impa really is something."

"Where did she come from?"

"She is the last surviving member of the Sheikah clan."

"And just what exactly _is _the Sheikah clan?"

"They are a secret group of people assigned by the Goddess Hylia to pass down knowledge and protect the royal bloodline in preparation for the Goddess' reincarnation."

"The Goddess reincarnates?"

"Legend says that the Goddess Hylia takes birth in the body of a princess of the royal bloodline."

"So you could be the Goddess reincarnated?"

"Well… technically. But I have had no visions or insight into the inner workings of the Goddess Hylia. When I asked Impa about it, she just says 'the Goddess resides in all of us.'"

"… At least you're questioning yourself."

"Oh, has Impa given you the spiel on 'self-questioning'?"

"Yup."

She let out a light laugh and said, "Well, Impa will be Impa."

Their path was a long and peaceful one. From the cavern, they headed north towards the entrance to Lake Hylia. Upon being inspected by the Lake Hylia guards at the gate, Zelda flashed her royal emblem to gain access. They trailed an eastbound route that bordered the edge of the large and serene lake. In every direction around the lake loomed tall mountains. The structure of the land allowed substantial amounts of fresh water to be stored in the lake. All along the way, Link enjoyed both an enthralling view and a series of interesting facts and stories as told by Princess Zelda.

When they reached the eastern gate of Lake Hylia, they traded their horses for camels in order to traverse the desert. Before departing the lake, they each drank large amounts of water. A hot sun blazed overhead as they began their desert journey.

Once they had gone into the desert a certain distance, they stopped talking due to the dryness. The guards had instructed them to keep their mouths closed and covered to prevent dehydration. Zelda lost herself in the analysis of the scroll's directions. She wanted to be sure that they didn't miss any checkpoints. It was a clear day with no storms so visibility was not an issue.

While looking, they came upon a disturbing sight. Numerous skeletons were scattered along the platform of an old ruin. Upon this platform, there were few but tall standing pillars and many more lying on the ground. The entire scene was riddled with black burn marks on the ground and broken tents.

"This isn't right…" Zelda remarked.

She then stepped off her camel and searched for clues as to what had happened. Link stepped off his camel as well and followed her around. Zelda at first looked around in a leisurely fashion, then she started getting more distressed, and soon she was rushing around in a near panic.

Link was surprised when she suddenly stopped in place. He walked up to her and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm dousing," she said with a focused look in her glance.

Zelda held in front of her a small blue crystal hanging from a delicate silver chain. She closed her eyes in deep thought as she tried to sense the movements of the crystal. Suddenly, the crystal glowed and pointed forward. She followed its lead. As she got closer to the destination, the light emanating from the crystal pulsated and when they were finally standing right over whatever object it was pointing to, the crystal pointed downward and pulsated vigorously. Zelda pocketed the dowsing gem and bent down to pick up an old-looking leather-backed pocket book that was hidden inside a small pouch.

She turned to pages of its last entries and tried reading for clues. The book was written in Gerudo, but Zelda's training required her to understand the language.

"I'll translate for you," she said.

"Tuesday, 22 September, year 738,

Hasth and Diga have passed on today. I don't know how much longer I will last. It has now been four days since Um-Deka destroyed our camp. I don't understand why he did it. He was the only man in our tribe, our pride and joy. Why would he wish a fate as terrible as this upon us?

The extinction of our clan is imminent. He left no children. All I can think of is the pain of the burns all over my body, and of the family I once had. The desert is so harsh…

Wednesday, 23 September, year 738

My body grows ever weaker. I thirst for water and hunger for food. Only a handful of us remain: Jono, Fir, Cele, Yun, Gaed, and myself.

If anyone ever manages to find and read these last words, pay heed to this warning:

There is a great evil in our land. It comes in the form of a man who is capable of powerful magic. He has already taken the Gerudo clan. Soon he will try and dominate the rest of the world. He holds our clan's emblem and I believe he carries bad intent with it. A great effort must be put in to stop him.

If there is any good in the being reading this, let it be known what has been done. Fight him at all costs and defeat him. Though this country may now be shrouded in darkness, I now see the light more than in any other moment of my life. Though death may be seconds away, I see the glory of the Goddess as it shines through every being. Never lose hope, for all the darkness in the world could not put out a candle.

Sincerely, Kiara"

Zelda and Link both paused to digest this newfound information.

Link went ahead and said, "Um-Deka huh? I thought Ganondorf was part of the Gerudo. Where did he come from if not from here?"

Zelda stared at the book a little longer and then said, "He took the emblem by force…" She looked at the date and continued, "Ten years ago."

"So this story lines up perfectly with Ganondorf's appearance at Hyrule." Link indicated.

"Yes." Zelda slipped the book into her satchel and then continued to walk back to the camels; Link followed behind.

"So what does this mean?" Link asked.

"It doesn't change much, but it gives us two things: new evidence to overthrow Ganondorf, and information that he is, in fact, a powerful, shape-shifting magician."

They mounted their camels and their pace continued as before. From the ruins, they headed directly southbound as instructed on the scroll. They looked for an entrance to an underground temple.

Link felt weary from the heat and thirst, so he took a large drink of water. He then realized that even though he had taken four drinks of water so far, he could not recall one instance where Zelda drank anything since they entered the desert.

"Aren't you thirsty?" he asked.

Zelda did not seem to hear this for quite some time; and then suddenly, like a wave came over her, she exclaimed "Oh, right!" and drank an enormous amount of water out of her leather water bag.

"Hahh," she sighed as she took the last gulp of water.

"Did you just forget you were thirsty the whole time?"

"Well, yeah… when I get sucked into my work it's bound to happen."

Link did nothing but stare at Zelda with an estranged look on his face.

In defense, Zelda cried out, "What!? It's true! It really happens to me!"

"It's not that, it's just… that reminds me of myself."

Link looked ahead of them and saw a strange shadow in one of the dunes.

He pointed at it and shouted, "What's that?"

As they got closer they saw what looked like the entrance to a temple. It was partially swallowed by an enormous sand dune. A large stone plate served as the roof that held the dune from burying the entrance. The door was round and had strange hieroglyphic markings on it. In front of the door, on the floor, there was another circular pattern carved into stone. He assumed by the shape of the dune that after entering, the temple went straight down into the ground, since there was no room to go forward or upward.

After they dismounted their camels, Zelda said, "Link, you're gonna probably need a lantern to go along with whatever else you are planning on bringing."

"Okay," he said as he started gearing up. First, he equipped the essentials: his academy sword, academy shield, clawshot, bow and arrows, water. Then, he got the secondary items: boomerang, lantern, and some light medicinal herbs. All together it added onto him a weight that he was familiar with. It was the same weight that he had when training at the knight's academy. A strange thirst for action and adventure began to grow within.

"This is what it's all about. This is what I've been training for," he thought.

When he was done preparing, he walked up to Zelda, who was trying to decrypt the writing on the temple surfaces. She rubbed her hand across the wall as she read.

"It says that there is a song we need to play in order to enter."

"Hey, I recognize this!" Zelda loudly stated. "These are notes."

She pulled out her ocarina and tried to play the notes according to the ruin. From what Link heard, the song conveyed loneliness in its tone. It did not, however, convey the sadness that usually goes along with this loneliness. There was an accepting feel to the melody's grace: a willingness to be forgotten and never be found, to observe the world but not to intervene. (*Melody name: The Desert's Calm)

Once the melody had been played twice over, the ground shook violently. The quake was extreme enough to knock them off their feet. Suddenly, the tremors stopped and they were both able to stand up. The door did not budge, and nothing seemed to have changed.

With a questioning look on her face, Zelda said, "That's stran-"

She was interrupted by a trap door that opened beneath both of them. Before each of them knew it, they were falling down a black abyss with no spatial awareness.


	11. Chapter 11a: Alone in the Dark - Link

Chapter 11a Alone in the Dark – Link

Link fell helplessly down a long and dark cave. He tried to think of what he could do, but without any light, he couldn't see. All he could do was hope that he didn't land on something hard or sharp. Luckily, the first thing he felt was a pile of sand that had gathered up over time to cushion his fall. Once he managed to get some kind of footing, he felt around for his lantern and lit it.

With the lantern illuminated, he could get a grasp on his surroundings. He shouted for Zelda but there was no response, and she was nowhere to be found.

The room had a circular area beneath the great fall, where the sand was gathered up. From the pile of sand, there was only one direction anyone could go. A wide corridor with pillars lining its path extended from the circular area leading to a square stone door.

Link slid down the pile of sand and checked if he still had all his equipment. He had to pick up a couple of arrows, but other than that, pretty much all of his stuff was still on him. Link walked up to the door and thought to himself, "Well, this is the only direction I can go. And I've got to find Zelda!"

He pushed the stone door open and walked through.

The room he entered was more or less cubic in shape and had one door on the opposite side of his entry point. There were piles of sand in each corner. Link walked in slowly, and once he had reached halfway through the room, four large scorpions emerged, one from each of the piles of sand, and commenced attacking. Each scorpion was a little larger than Link, had humongous claws and hooked tails ready to strike.

Link quickly armed himself with sword and shield, tied his lantern to his hip, and stood on guard against them. He placed his back up against the door opposite to his entrance, so as not to be completely surrounded. The four scorpions had him pressed up against the wall with no way to get through. The first attack came from his left side. The bug lunged its tail at link. He blocked it with his shield and noticed that the stinger got stuck in the shard of wood. He used this opportunity to slice the stinger off the tail, disarming its primary means of attack.

The injured scorpion jumped back in pain, leaving room for the next one to strike. Link managed to deflect the surprise attack with his shield but it quickly let out another strike. Meanwhile, the other two were preparing to lunge at him. He dodged all three strikes by leaping to his left side, where the first scorpion had attacked him from. He realized that this new position in the room's corner gave him a temporary vantage point: at this angle, they would be inclined to attack him single file, one by one.

The first in line lunged at him with its tail. With his shield he blocked the strike, and in a similar fashion to the first one, cut the stinger off, and then proceeded to stab the creature through its head. It twitched once, and then went limp.

"One down." He thought.

The next in line tried to sting Link just like the others. Link bashed the tail back with his shield and then sliced it right through the head.

"That's two."

The last in the line leapt at Link. While it was in mid-air Link let out an uppercut slash that knocked the scorpion onto its back. He then seized the opportunity to utilize his famous 'finishing blow.' He leapt in the air and landed on the scorpion's belly, impaling it through the chest with his sword.

"Three, and…"

A glance out of the corner of his eye revealed to him that the last, stinger-less scorpion was jumping at him from his left side. He performed a back flip to dodge the attack and readied himself for another. The scorpion lunged at him again, but this time Link was ready.

"Four!"

One horizontal slash struck the bug midway through its jump and knocked the dead arachnid back onto the floor.

A sudden calm rushed over the room. All that could be heard was the sound of Link's heavy breathing. He sheathed his sword and rested his shield on his back.

"This stuff is starting to get heavy…"

He tiptoed his way towards the door through the mess of dead scorpions he had made. The door opened as easily as the last one and he now found himself in a tall and wide corridor with torches lit along the sides. He extinguished the lantern to conserve fuel.

Once he was inside, he noticed that there was a large treasure chest to his immediate right. He walked over and noticed that there was no lock on the chest. A strange urge came over him, like he had done this before. Of course he felt no remorse in taking an ancient artifact from a sacred temple. It was unlocked; therefore, its contents must have been for him. He opened it and found a short, but dense hammer.

"Wow, this is heavy…"

He had to hold it with two hands and walk funny in order to move with it. As he clumsily made his way down the long corridor he noticed the hieroglyphs on the walls.

"I bet Zelda would kill to read some of these."

At the end of the hallway, the stonework expanded to accommodate a larger door. Link walked up to it and analyzed the symbols written upon it. One in particular stood out to him. A large blue circle at the center of the door situated a little above his height. He examined the implications of the circle and the fact that the hammer he just got has a circular face of exactly the same size as the one on the wall. Link couldn't help but try his new toy out so he grabbed the hammer with two hands and held it behind his back, readying a swing. He quickly realized that it was too much weight to hold, and ended up falling onto his back.

When it struck the ground, it created an enormous shockwave that broke all the nearby pots and caused debris to fall from the ceiling.

"Wow," was all he had to say about it.

He stood up again for a second try. This time he didn't swing far back as much. He let out a haymaker swing that instantly shattered the wall into chunks of rock that fell apart and cleared the path for him.

A high-pitched buzz loomed in the air.

Once again, "wow" was all he had to say about it.

The next room was dark, so he lit up his lantern again. As he walked on, he noticed that he was entering from the left half of the large, rectangular room. In the center there was an empty stone throne; directly behind it stood a twenty-foot tall sphinx statue. Curiosity got the best of him as he walked up to the throne and gently touched its arm.

The moment he touched it, he saw out of the corner of his eyes a sharp red light shining from the direction of the sphinx's face. As he turned to look, he realized that its eyes were glowing red.

The statue broke away from the wall and stood before Link. For a moment it waited, and then it charged at him. He jumped back to dodge the first punch, which hit the ground. Link readied his trusty hammer and was prepared to strike when an explosion from behind interrupted him.


	12. Chapter 11b: Alone in the Dark - Zelda

Chapter 11b Alone in the Dark – Zelda

While helplessly falling down the dark pit, Zelda conjured a ball of light to illuminate her surroundings. At the bottom of the pit she could make out a pile of sand. With her magic, she slowed her falling speed so as to allow her to float gently to the bottom.

The ball of light remained glowing in her hand and served as her lantern. The room in which she stood was exactly the same in shape as the one Link fell into. After going through a similar thought pattern as Link, the princess decided to head towards the only exit possible. With a wave of the hand, the stone door magically slid open.

Before she entered, she could sense a presence in the cubic room she was about to enter. She sent her ball of light floating ahead to allow her to scout the surroundings. When all she saw were piles of sand, she walked slowly, with a suspicion in mind. As soon as she rejoined her ball of light at the center of the room, four scorpions popped out of piles of sand from each corner.

Zelda instantaneously raised the ball of light above her head and made an incredibly bright flash. This action blinded the light-sensitive scorpions so that they were temporarily stunned. She let out a short burst of energy at the one to her front-right that blew it up into five separate pieces.

Another quick spell had her send out a bright beam of light from her hand at the next one to her front-left, which instantly killed it. Zelda was starting to feel weary from the previous spells. She turned around and readied herself for an attack from the last two.

Luckily, the scorpions were still orienting themselves from their temporary blindness. She levitated a nearby stone and slammed it onto one of the last two, crushing its shell and body.

Before she was able to regain her strength, the last scorpion lunged at her. She managed to produce a small blue barrier with her hand to block the stinger. The bug was knocked back, but didn't back down. It immediately attempted another attack, but Zelda, with a punching motion, shot one more rock from behind her and bashed the scorpion towards the corner. The impact, she could tell, must have been painful, judging by the noises it was emitting and the twitching motions it made in its corner.

After having much time to cool down, Zelda focused energy in her arms and let out powerful flamethrowers from each of her hands. By the time she had eased off her pyro-kinetic onslaught, the hundred pound scorpion had been reduced to a small pile of ashes.

While recovering from her attack, Zelda nearly collapsed from the exhaustion of using so much magical energy. She managed to keep going on and stumbled into the next room.

A long, tall, and wide corridor left her dazzled at its sight. There were uncountable drawings and ancient hieroglyphs written all over the walls. A gold hue was reflected against every surface of the hall.

To her left, she noticed that an armless and legless mannequin was wearing a green tunic and pointed hat. She walked over and read the inscription on the pedestal.

"Clothes fit for a hero. May it take some weight off your shoulders."

As she examined the clothing, she decided that Link would look better wearing it. She grabbed it and put it in her bag.

With the tunic out of the way, Zelda noticed a strange message behind the mannequin.

"Within the Triforce reside the forces of Power, Courage, and Wisdom."

"Okay, I know that, everyone knows that!" Zelda thought.

"A great battle was once waged… A boy of Courage fought a demon of Power to save a holy princess of Wisdom."

"Yeah… the fairytale of the courageous hero…"

"Each of three beings has a piece of the Triforce embedded into their souls. Each soul reincarnates upon specific circumstances. Each soul has an eternal destiny to fulfill.

The goddess, reborn to a princess, is passed down by blood and remains in the royal bloodline, holds the Triforce of wisdom.

The demon king, reborn in mortal body, may be born of many a place and form, holds the Triforce of power.

The hero, reborn to any man, carries the unbreakable spirit, holds the Triforce of courage.

When evil rises, it is the duty of the hero to vanquish it, and the will of the goddess that he shall succeed."

"Interesting…"

Though she had lots of questions in her head, a loud bang followed by tremors interrupted her thoughts.

"Link!"

She ran up to the end of the hallway where she found a great door with a red circle drawn at its center. Before she could decrypt the pictures on the door, she heard another loud crashing sound followed by similar tremors. Light debris started falling from overhead as a result of these quakes.

The situation looked extremely urgent and she tried to figure out how to open the door.

"Only those with the power to pass me may enter."

"That doesn't help at all!"

She thought and thought but nothing came to her head until she heard a crashing noise from just past the wall. In one final act of desperation, Zelda took a couple steps back, and charged up for the strongest attack she had ever done.

For this strike, she used a form of magic that placed all energy into one strike, disabling defensive capabilities momentarily. The magician charges up a ball of energy between his hands and up against his waist. When the charge is complete, he fully extends his arms in the direction he wants to shoot with wrists against each other and palms opening like the mouth of a carnivorous creature. Upon releasing the energy, the magician has to lunge forward to counteract the recoil. Perfect execution of this form creates devastating results for both the environment and the magician, since it takes up a tremendous amount of energy.

In Zelda's case, she focused it into one point that would explode when it touched a surface. The blast radius was not only enough to shatter the door, but it also broke parts of the wall around it, and caused a substantial tremor as well.

(*The form was invented long ago by an unknown man, but to this day, it is called the 'kamehameha'.)


	13. Chapter 12: Reunited

Chapter 12 Reunited

After a few seconds of recovery, Zelda forced herself forward and paid witness to Link battling a giant moving statue. Though she was still tired from breaking the wall, she managed to send her light orb to float above Link, giving him better visibility.

The energy it took to sustain the ball of light caused her to collapse on one knee. For the moment, all she could do was watch Link try to hold his ground against a colossal opponent.

As soon as Link dodged the first punch, he was distracted by Zelda's entrance and was unable to strike the arm that had been stuck in the ground. He decided to get some distance to try and give Zelda some time to recover. Seeing this action, the sphinx picked up a large stone that had once been part of the wall, and threw it at Link's direction.

He managed to dodge the massive stone by mere inches. The sphinx grabbed two smaller pieces and hurled them one after the other. Link once again avoided both of them by a hair. Though the giant beast showed no signs of slowing down, Link was practically on his knees from the exhaustion of carrying the hammer while evading the boulders.

When it couldn't find any more stones on the floor, the sphinx dug its hands into the wall and pulled out a mighty chunk that took both of its hands to carry. From the size and shape of it, Link knew he would not be able to avoid a throw of that proportion. In a last ditch effort, he readied his powerful hammer and hoped for a miracle. As the large piece of the ruin was tossed at him, he could hear Zelda screaming his name in desperation. He swung his weapon with all his might, and to his amazement, he shattered the hurtling stone to pieces.

Among the cloud of dust that the collision had generated, Link remained unharmed.

Impatience drove the moving statue to walk up to him and attempt another punch. Link's readiness was evident in his quick avoidance of the strike, and immediate counter-attack with the massive hammer. Upon impact, the blow spread cracks along the entire left arm of the stone colossus, who pulled back and in retaliation tried to punch with its right arm. The attack missed, and Link had just to walk over and crackle the right arm in a similar fashion.

Once the sphinx had jumped back and had a few seconds of rest, Link ran towards it. In an attempt to protect itself, the sphinx held both its fists together behind its back, and tried to unleash a double hammer arm to crush its foe.

Link was too fast for this move and was able to roll out of the attack so that he was right below the beast's belly. He swung the hammer horizontally and in one strike, took out both of the statue's legs. The sphinx abruptly fell to its torso.

As the colossus was trying to get itself together, Link slammed its chest three times, breaking its outer layer and revealing a shining bright red crystal at the core.

While balancing itself with its left arm, the giant attacked with a speedy close-range punch. Link had no time to dodge but managed to shield the attack; but even with the shield, he was knocked back to the other end of the room.

After regaining his composure, he looked up and noticed that the sphinx's red eyes were increasingly glowing brighter as if it were charging up for something. He held up his shield in preparation for an energy-based attack. Just as he had expected, a thin beam of red energy shot out and, upon contact, exploded and engulfed Link.

To his surprise, there was no pain. Closer examination of the situation revealed that there was a big blue crystal surrounding his body protecting him. It was Zelda's spell that blocked the beam. Link looked back and saw she on her knees, leaning forward on one arm and stretching the other out toward him so as to hold the magic shield in place.

Once the energy beam had subsided, Link sprinted towards the downed sphinx. It was preparing a melee attack, but Zelda disrupted it with three consecutive explosions on its face and body.

He attacked with a massive crushing blow that managed to crack the red crystal. The giant tried a punch from the side, but Link swung the hammer to meet the punch in a head-on collision. As the punch met the hammer, the arm broke into fragments all the way to halfway up its biceps.

The crashing collision lost the sphinx its balance, and it fell onto its back. With one last mighty strike, Link pulverized the body of the statue in an explosive finish. Zelda walked up to the mess of dust, powder, and sparkling red glitter that drifted around Link. His hammer lay on the ground where the sphinx used to be and he was still holding its handle, resting in the calm of the moment. He breathed heavily with his eyes closed.

"Well, I can see you found a new toy!" Zelda enthusiastically stated.

Link let out a short laugh and said, "Yep. It's a heavy one."

"Oh, right, I found a tunic that should fit you perfectly." She said as she pulled the green clothing out of her satchel.

He left the hammer resting on the floor to stand up and examine the tunic. "Oh my, my," he said as he held it against his chest.

"It looks just like… did it come with-"

"This?" Zelda said as she brought out the pointed cap.

"Ahhh! Yes! Now I'll look just like the great hero!"

Link put on the attire of his old role-play with a child-like enthusiasm.

"How do I look?" he said while spinning around to let Zelda see him from all angles.

"Cute."

"What? Cute? I'm a hero now!"

"Yeah, but I can't help thinking that it makes you look kinda like an elf, or a fairy…"

Link replied in a slightly upset tone, "Well Excuuuuse me! Princess of pointy elf ears!"

Zelda was bewildered at his reply.

"I'll have you know, th- the 'pointy' ears are a… a… trait passed down in the blood of the roya- MY royal family!"

"Riiiiiight, because statues of the Goddess always accentuate her royal 'pointed eardness'"

"Shush! Shut up!" She clamped her ears to hide them.

Link let out a laugh and then continued gearing up when he noticed something.

"Hey, my sword is lighter."

Zelda, who was fondling her ears in deep thought heard Link's words late and turned to him with a confused look on her face. "What?"

"My sword is lighter now. It actually feels like it's not even on my back."

"Hmmm… so I guess the description wasn't _just_ metaphorical then…" she said, wandering around with her words, lost in dear thoughts of her precious ears.

Having noticed her distress over the ears, Link said, "Don't worry about the ears Zelda, they make you look 'be-ear-tiful.'"

"Shut up!"

"They make you look like a true l-ear-der of Hyrule!"

"You shut your mouth!"

"Awww… it's ok, I like you just the way you are. And besides, it's not like you can… ear-ase their pointiness."

"I swear to Din Link!"

Link let out a loud laugh and continued to equip the rest of his gear. Just like the sword, the remainder of his equipment didn't feel like it added any weight at all, not even when he hanged the sizeable hammer on his back.

"This tunic is quite something!" he said, turning left and right to check himself out.

He noticed something shining in the rubble. Upon closer inspection, he picked up what looked like a hefty golden key with a red gem similar to the sphinx's at the center of its chest.

"Hey, what do you think this is for?

Zelda didn't respond. She cupped her ears and glared at him with a menacing look.

"What?" he said defensively.

She continued staring at him.

"Alright, I'm sorry!"

"It's not that!"

"Okay… well, can we move on then?"

While maintaining the same grumpy look, she ripped the key from Link's hands, levitated it into the air, and inserted it into a highly elevated keyhole that was located where the sphinx's chest was where it was originally standing. The key turned and revealed that much of the wall was in fact a large door that broke the walled covering as it opened to reveal a bright sunlit room. For a moment, they had to adjust to the sunlight; Zelda extinguished her magical lantern, and Link his physical one.

They both strolled into the enormous room in a daze of wonder. The shape was circular, and there were two levels; the upper, upon which they were standing, wrapped around the room like a donut, while the lower level was buried at the center in a ominous pile of sand that stood at least fifty feet high. The diameter of the lower level was large enough that it would take Link ten seconds to run across. The most notable part of the chamber was the skylight, which was basically a circular tunnel as wide as the lower level that started at the roof of the chamber and extended upward several hundreds of feet towards the surface.

"It's huge!" Link exclaimed. His echo reverberated loudly.

"So this must be the chamber with the gem." Zelda said in observation.

"Oh, and that statue was its guardian?"

"I guess so…"

"And the gem must be under all this sand that's been piling up right?"

"Yeah…"

Zelda seemed unsure about something.

Link rushed down the stairs in front of them and started digging his way through the sand like an ant on an anthill.

"Man! How are we gonna do this? It'll take hours."

"Link, step away from the sand!"

He looked up and saw that the entire pile was shaking. In a scampering motion, he made his was up the stairs back to Zelda. The shaking continued for a few more seconds, and then all of a sudden, it stopped.

"What?" Link whispered to himself.

Out of nowhere, a massive scorpion jumped out of the pile. The sand blew across the room. The former location of the sand pile was made relatively flat by the enormous arachnid's movements.

"That's probably the mother." Zelda hypothesized.

"It's as big as three sphinxes!" Link shouted.

The beast let out a ghastly screech that sent shivers up Link's spine.

"_This_ is the _real_ guardian." She said.

Link armed his hammer and shield, then made his way down the stairs. His weapons regained their weight when he carried them.

"Haahhh," he said as he released a breath of air and stood before his gargantuan foe.

_"This is it! No turning back now!" _he thought to himself.


	14. Chapter 13: Din's Raging Ruby

Chapter 13 Din's Raging Ruby

Link stood energized by the calm intensity of a pre-battle stare-down. Strangely, the scorpion seemed to understand and respect this pause as well.

"There's some kind of honor in this beast." Link thought.

It readied a strike with the stinger; which Link was ready to dodge. Before he could do so, the tail was blocked and knocked back by a preemptive attack on Zelda's part.

"Link, I'll keep the tail off as long as I can. If you can take the claws out with your hammer, its head will be an open target."

"Got it!"

He charged in and quickly realized that it was much easier said than done. The scorpion effortlessly punched Link out of its way.

"Do you think you can hold its claws still as well?" Link asked.

"I'll try!"

Zelda conjured white halos that clamped the claws shut, and held them down.

"Hurry!" she shouted, struggling to keep her hold.

Link ran as fast as he could to the guardian's left claw. He slammed it a total of four times, each time the claw cracked more; and by the fourth strike, it was practically falling apart. The brace on the other claw suddenly broke free and the beast tried to clamp Link.

In a majestic move, Link leapt out of the clamping claw's way with a front flip, and used the momentum of the flip to strike the braced claw with even more force. The crushing blow shattered the left claw, forcing the scorpion back screeching in pain.

Its tail started moving unnaturally. This was due to the clash of Zelda's grip holding the tail and the scorpion trying to lunge at Link with it. All of a sudden, the tail stopped struggling. For a moment, it stayed still, but then it shot out a thick green liquid towards the young hero. Luckily, the spray missed, but the sand upon which the liquid landed began to dissolve.

"It's acid!" Zelda warned.

A look of perpetual fear covered Link's face as he gazed up to avoid the next volley of acid. The sand made it difficult to move quickly. He barely dodged the spray and had many close calls in between.

"What to do? I'm not fast enough…" he thought.

Zelda attacked with a barrage of explosive balls of fire that distracted and shrouded the scorpion's vision with smoke.

Link ran towards the mound of smoke that covered the beast. As he got closer, he discovered a halo wrapped around the claw and felt confident about his next attack. He bashed the claw four times, shattering it on the fourth.

The now defenseless arachnid backed up until it hit the wall. Advancing upon his foe, Link leapt at its head and began to break its protective face mask. He could only muster up three bashes, and a few cracks when he heard Zelda shout, "Look out!"

A few drips of the acid managed to escape Zelda's hold and were heading right at Link. In an act of desperation, he shot the head of his clawshot to the wall at his left. The riveting chain jingled as the claw reached for a surface. Once it latched on to the wall, the chain wound up and pulled Link towards it. He barely dodged the gush of acid.

"Looks like clawshot is the way to go now," he thought.

The arachnid seemed to have lost sight of its prey. Link took this opportunity to run up and slash at its two most frontward right legs, breaking its joints, and incapacitating its forward movement. The giant crawler squealed and shot a load of acid at him. He had already clawshot himself far out of the way by the time the acid hit the ground.

Link stood in plain sight to the beast and had to act swiftly on it. A trail of acid was sent flying his way. He used the clawshot to quickly dash himself back and forth along the wall to avoid any incoming splashes. After a couple of barrages, the acid had covered up most areas around him and he was running out of places to go.

"Zelda! Help!" he shouted as a last resort.

The next thing he saw was a large explosion that engulfed the guardian, creating a cloud of smoke and dust that covered its vision. The spraying stopped. Link ran out towards the center of the arena. He looked back at Zelda. She had her arms pointed out towards the beast from her last attack. Her body suddenly went limp and she fell to the ground. He immediately clawshot himself to the wall next to her.

"Are you okay?" Link asked in concern.

"That's it!" she stated.

"What?"

While pausing many times for heavy breathing, Zelda said, "I can't do it any more… I feel… so… weak… I'm… can't…"

"That's enough!" he said loudly to silence her. "Rest, I'll take care of it."

Link carried Zelda over to a spot behind a wall on the upper level where she would be safe. Her mind drifted away, but she understood his last orders: "Stay right here."

The young hero stepped back into the arena with a certainty that if he were to win this battle, it would be without the help of his sorceress; and that if he were to lose, it would mean the end of him, Zelda, and all of Hyrule.

The cloud of dust and smoke had dissipated so the scorpion could see him clearly. Link could discern that Zelda had managed to destroy the shell on its face with her last strike.

He was ready to fight his opponent one on one.

The scorpion attempted a first strike with a scatter of acid. In order to dodge the attack, Link clawshot himself to the right wall and started running toward his foe along the wall, avoiding the continued sprays coming his way. When he could no longer outrun the onslaught of acid, he pulled out his sword, and sent a clawshot to the face of the beast. The claw latched on, and pulled Link to its face with tremendous speed.

Upon reaching the face, the sword he had armed himself with was lunged into one of the crawler's eyes. Link pulled the sword out to unleash a three-slash combo on the scorpion's vulnerable mug. The screeches of pain roared across the chamber as it lunged its tail in desperation.

The hero was prepared for this attack and jumped back; however, what he did not expect was the close range spray of acid that the guardian shot out as the stinger rose out of the sand. He managed to shield himself, but the acid began melting the shield, which had to be discarded immediately.

"I gotta finish this now!" he thought.

The stinger lunged at him again, which he was able to dodge. An impulse took over him, and he shot the claw onto the stinger itself. As the tail was pulled back, Link was launched skyward, almost hitting the ceiling. He didn't loosen his grip on the stinger though: instead, he armed his sword and rappelled himself downward, gaining velocity as he charged. By the time he had landed and stabbed the stinger from above, he was moving with so much speed, that his crash landing slammed the stinger into the body of the scorpion, forcefully injecting acid into its internal organs.

Once again, the beast's cries echoed loudly across the chamber. To silence his foe, Link armed his hammer and slammed the hilt of the sword protruding from atop the stinger. The finishing blow plunged the tail even deeper into the guardian and broke its remaining legs, slaying the gargantuan arachnid and laying it to rest.

Link pulled his sword out and observed that the acid had corroded the blade beyond repair. Similarly to his shield, the sword was discarded. He leapt off of the massive carcass and then ran back to go check on Zelda.

The exhausted princess sat still against the wall in the same position Link left her in. The rested look on her face showed that she would not be conscious for a long time.

An ominous noise came from the direction of the fallen beast. He looked and saw that the giant scorpion was slowly vaporizing into dark violet smog. An assumption led Link to believe that it was normal for the guardians to dissolve in that manner.

With a sigh of relief, the young hero sat and rested next to Zelda.

"Just a few minutes…" he thought.

A few minutes would have actually been enough to put him to sleep. He was alarmed by a sudden loud and powerful tremor that shook the entire chamber. Link stood up and tried to figure out what was going on.

To his amazement, the entire lower level of the room was rising like a platform. The sand was shaken off and the stairs, which used to lead down, reversed their arrangement to climb upward. The platform stopped once it was the same distance above the outer rim as it used to be beneath it.

Link shook Zelda by the shoulders in excitement. "Zelda! Wake up! You have to see this!"

She opened her eyes drowsily, mumbled a few incomprehensible words, and then drifted back to sleep.

"Zelda. Zelda!"

He gave up on waking her up and went ahead up the stairs to see what was up there. Upon reaching the top of the podium, he saw a round red-orange gem that was slightly larger than an apple. A thin energy aura emitted by a small pedestal located at the center of the platform, reached up like an arm and gracefully held the gem suspended a few feet in the air.

Link was so mesmerized by the crystallized blaze of vitality he beheld that he lost track of the slow strides he was making. Before he knew it, the gem was within arm's reach. He reached out to grab it. As he did, the aura dissipated and he felt the weight of the gem as it landed on his hand.

It was not a perfect circle. What looked like crystallized flames rose from its top and sides, like a flame frozen in time. Within the precious stone, one would see a dancing fire at the center. It never looked quite the same at any instance. A rush of vitality and excitement filled the holder of the raging ruby. Link felt like he would never need to sleep again as he held it. He also felt powerful and invincible.

An important thought interrupted him. "Zelda!"

Though he was running at full speed, he noticed that he felt no fatigue even after the exhausting battle he just won.

"If the gem gives vitality, then it should wake her up!"

To test the theory out, he first tried to wake her up by calling her name. When he got a similar response as the last time, he proceeded to open her hand and place the gem on her palm.

Immediately, her eyes shot wide open and she jumped out of her seat. She turned to Link with a look of surprise, excitement, and a hint of fear.

"This is… this is… the gem!" she shouted in disbelief. "You defeated the guardian?"

"It appears so." Link answered with a gaze of contented delight. He was happy for Zelda's enthusiasm. It wasn't very often that you saw her like that.

"This is great!" she exclaimed.

Shortly after catching a glimpse of the raised platform, she dashed up the stairs, tripping twice, and made her way to the pedestal where she locked her attention on the ancient hieroglyphs written into the floor.

Link strode slowly behind, observing her investigation from a distance.

"Hey, what's this?" Zelda vibrantly said as she pointed out something at the base of the pedestal.

It was a shield that was embedded into the ground. It had steel rims and numerous designs on it including the symbol of the Triforce and eagle, along with decorative steel lining around the Hylian crest; the spaces in between were deep blue. Link reached at it and pulled it out of the ground. On its back, there was a handle that fit his right arm perfectly.

"This is nifty," Link commented.

"There is some form of a blessing on this shield. I can't tell what it does, but it is probably pretty sturdy." Zelda observed. She continued to read the name as it was inscribed on the platform.

"Hylian Shield," she read aloud.

"I like it!" he added as he made practice motions with the shield.

The princess let Link play with the new toy while she examined the writing.

"I got it!" she suddenly shouted in triumph.

She levitated the ruby in front of her and then dropped it into the pedestal. Glowing red lines of energy surged through the cracks and inscriptions all over the platform. The entire podium began to rise into the skylight, and kept on going until it reached the surface several hundreds of feet above the chamber.

Once again, they were back in the blazing heat of the afternoon desert sun.


	15. Chapter 14: Archery Games

Chapter 14 Archery Games

Taking notice of the time, Zelda said, "We should head back now."

After trailing back a few feet, they came to a sight they recognized. It was the entrance that had tricked them earlier that day, except this time, they were standing above the large opening. On their way down, careful avoidance of the trap door was observed.

The camels they rode in on were still waiting. They mounted and headed back on the same path.

The journey back felt shorter, like most journeys do. At the eastern gate of Lake Hylia they traded their camels back for horses; all along the way having interesting and insightful conversations about what life is like being a princess or a knight trainee. Laughter followed them wherever they went.

At the western gate of Lake Hylia, the two heroes had to split paths. The princess needed to go back to her kingdom, and Link, back to the cavern.

"So what do we do next?" Link curiously asked as a parting question.

"Well, I'll see about my plans for the coming week, but I want to start the next search day after tomorrow. Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah! Sure! Let's get it done quickly!"

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Bye."

A joyous celebration was held when Link arrived with the good news. Food and drinks were given to all. Everyone had a great time. The all-night party had Link dancing until he dropped. Later on, when he would try to remember the night, he would find that much of it was blanked out. He could, however, remember the happiness he felt; it was an unshakable bliss.

Link woke up in a familiar red tent with a slight hangover.

"Aw man…" he spoke to himself as an expression of his state of mind, which was of a contented weary nature. Though he had fought the toughest battle of his life yesterday, no scars or pain haunted him. A new horizon was open in front of him and he couldn't wait see what was beyond it.

He made his way to the crowded breakfast table to eat. The spirit that loomed in the party last night was still alive that morning. Smiles were wider than normal, the jokes were funnier, and the people, more caring.

Link was surprised to hear stories of things he did the night before. Apparently, he had brought out his bow and arrow and attempted to shoot a target while he was blindfolded. Though he stumbled a few times, once he managed to shoot one out, he got a bull's eye on his first try. (This was an inspirational moment for the troop.)

The noise of the laughter that followed could drown out the sound of one's thoughts.

The young hero enjoyed his breakfast, as well as the stories of himself.

He sat against a pillar, eating a fruit, basking in the glory of a victory, and a wonderful meal. The apple he ate was juicy and scrumptious; it was just what he needed.

"Supreme commander!" shouted the voices of a familiar group of kids.

"Hey guys." Link greeted back casually.

Kyle stepped forward and announced, "Supreme Commander Link, the troop would like to inform you that all the requested preparations have been completed."

"That's good!" Link said as he continued to take bites out of his apple.

For a while, there was an awkward pause wherein Link ate several more bites out of his tasty fruit. Noticing that his Supreme Commander had not gotten the hint, Kyle asked, "Supreme Commander, would you like to perform an examination of our equipment?"

Link looked at Kyle for a moment with a puzzled look on his face, and then understood what he meant. "Oh! Right, right, an 'examination.'"

He stood up straight with hands behind his back and addressed his squad in a demanding fashion. "Alright Troop! Let's have a look at your stuff."

"Yes, Supreme Commander!" they shouted in unison.

They all headed out to the 'Shooting area' where Link laid witness to the most state of the art firing range he had ever seen. The size, design, and measurements of the targets were spot on and the quality of the bows and arrows the Troop made were unmatched.

In the midst of Link's astonishment, he failed to notice that Kyle had walked right up to him and was holding out a gift. A magnificent medium sized crimson longbow with golden coverings at each limb, and along its grip.

"Supreme Commander. Your bow," he said, to get Link's attention.

"Oh… thanks…" Link said, still in bewilderment.

"Kyle!" said a familiar, sassy, voice from behind.

"What!" Kyle shouted back.

"I'm sorry Link, is my little cousin bothering you?"

The Supreme Commander turned around and saw that it was Linda who was talking. She had two friends with her who stood on each of her sides.

She continued by saying, "Oh, I almost forgot! This is Sarah, and this is Leanne."

They were both slightly shorter than Linda. The looks on their faces contrasted consistently with the impression of inferiority given off by the differences in heights. Linda had a confident look on her face whereas her two friends appeared more insecure and uncertain.

Sarah had an awkward outfit that consisted of a long-sleeved tight green shirt, and a darker green skirt that reached up until below her knees. Her short hair was of a shining emerald dye. She hid behind Linda peeking out almost with one eye to look at Link.

Leanne had her black hair tied in a bun, which worked well with the skinny yellow dress she had on. One could tell she looked up to Linda by the way she was trying to emulate her traits. A similar shyness to that of Sarah was evident in her mannerisms.

Linda stared at Link with a suspiciously confident look that said: 'I know what you're up to.'

"So, 'Supreme Commander', what's going on here?"

"Just teachin' the younglings some archery."

"OH MY, Link the teacher! Tell us! How do you do it?" she said sarcastically.

"Simple." He said lightly. "BOYS!" he shouted at the troop.

"Yes, Supreme Commander!" they responded.

"Teach these… GIRLS how to _really_ handle a weapon."

Link was pleased to glance back at Linda and see a look of insult on her face. He purposefully made a sly, arrogant, grin on his face to make her even angrier.

While barely holding herself from screaming, Linda contemplated fighting Link at his own game. Her face grew red with rage.

"Linda, we should go pick the fruit." Sarah quietly reminded her.

Link loudly said, "You should take her advice, Linda. Of course… by the looks of it, you might not need to _pick_ any fruits, seeing as your face is turning into a plum!"

"Girls…" Linda said in a silent, but agitated voice.

"We _really _need to pick th-"

"Let's try some archery." Linda continued, ignoring Sarah's supposition.

"Then let's make it interesting." Link said as he started pacing left and right in front of the three girls. "If you win, WE pick the fruit. You can tell us to do whatever you want for the rest of the afternoon."

"What's the catch?" Linda asked.

"If we win…" He couldn't think of anything at the moment. He stopped pacing, turned and asked the troop, "What do you think, boys?"

They each seemed to have a request that they all voiced out at the same time. The simultaneous demands were too noisy to be understood.

"Troop!" Link yelled to quell the racket.

"Yes, Supreme Commander!"

"Let's hear em' one at a time."

Kyle raised his hand first. "Yes, Kyle?"

"How about… they pick some fruit for us!"

"That sounds good! Anyone else?"

Another hand went up. "Yes, Dennis, what would you like?"

A shy boy stepped in front of the crowd of five. He had a stutter in his speech. "Can- can I ha- have h-h-hors-se riding lessons from you?"

"What?! No! Dennis, I mean… from _them," _Link replied as he gestured to the girls.

"O-OHhhhh… Never mind…" Dennis said, and then stepped back into the group.

"I'm talking about bets people! I need ideas for a bet we could wager." The Supreme Commander shouted.

Another hand came up from the back.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"What if we get em' to roll in DIRT!"

"That's kinda sick, man… I like it!" Link exclaimed.

A small hand was raised.

"Yes, ummm, what's your name?"

"George." Said a happy little voice.

"And what do you have in mind, George?"

"Why don't we all just pick the fruit together?"

Altogether, everyone else except Sarah said in unison, "Naahhh!"

Link kneeled down to talk face to face with George. "Look, Georgie, we are _wagering _right now! We need something that is just as bad as picking fruits for them all afternoon."

Dennis raised his hand again.

"What, Dennis?" Link asked while standing up.

"C-can I ha-ha-have a p-p-piece of Su-Sarah's he-hair?"

Everyone stared at Dennis strangely for a moment, and then Link broke the silence.

"There you have it!" He said, turning back to the girls.

"If we win, you will pick a plate full of fruit for us, roll in the mud, and Sarah gives Dennis a lock of her hair."

Sarah gasped.

"Deal!" Linda said as she held out her hand, which Link grabbed and shook firmly.

Link turned back to the troop with a confident gaze in his eyes. "Ready Boys?"

All five lined up and armed their bows with arrows, prepared to shoot. Just as the firing signal was about to be given by the Supreme Commander, a flaming arrow zipped by over Link's shoulder, blasted through the bull's eye of the far-left target and hit the ground behind it.

The crowd stared at the burning target in astonishment, and then turned to see who it was that shot the flaming arrow.

It was none other than the princess herself. She held a finely decorated crimson longbow. The raging ruby gently levitated behind her, supplying her with magical energy. A small horse-pulled carriage moved in from far behind.

Zelda made her way forward with a strut in her walk. She casually asked, "So what's this I hear about a bet?"

Linda quickly jumped at the chance of getting Zelda on her side. "Link's bullying us! He wants us to roll in mud if we lose!"

"Oh really?" the princess said, turning an apprehensive eye towards Link. "That's not very nice, Linky…" she continued while making a sarcastically sad face.

"What's it to you anyway? You weren't even part of the bet! How'd you even hear us from all the way over there?!" Link said angrily.

"I don't know… maybe it was… my 'pointy ears', huh?" she said, pulling her ears to make fun of Link.

An angry look began to build up on the Supreme Commander's face.

"So let's have this bet! I'll join Linda's side."

Link didn't answer; he just stared at Zelda with intense, fuming, eyes.

She leaned in so that her face was inches from his and asked, "Or are you scared of losing to a bunch of girls?"

"We'll take the bet," he reluctantly stated.

The Supreme Commander turned to his troop. "You guys know how to shoot, right? I mean… you're not just a bunch of screw-offs… are you?"

"No, Supreme Commander, we are trained masters of the bow."

"Yes, but can you beat that?" Link gestured to the burning target.

A wave of sighing "Oh…"s accompanied the troop's sudden loss of vitality at the sight of the demolished target.

After noticing the change in atmosphere, Link tried to raise their spirits. "Hey, never forget to live by the Trooper's code!"

The mention of the Supreme Commander's idea of a pledge awoke in the kids a newfound vigor, with which they impulsively commenced reciting the vow.

"You may take our lives, but we'll take yours too.

You'll fire your turrets but we'll run you through.

So when you're waiting for the next attack,

You'd better stand, there's no turning back!"

"That's more like it!" Link said vibrantly. "That's a good pledge; it should be made into a song or something…"

The competition was to be held, a four a side match. Each person was given three chances to shoot; the best of the three would be counted as the person's point shot. The other two would be discounted.

Link was first. He steadied his stance and readied his new crimson bow. The physics of the design matched his frame perfectly, as if the kids knew exactly how big it needed to be. Though he had three chances, one shot was all he needed to sink a bull's eye on his first try. A round of applause erupted from the side of the troop.

"Ten points to the troop," said George, who had volunteered to referee the match.

Next up was Linda; She used a bow that was given to her by her mother to defend herself in case of an emergency. It was mediocre in design and structure. Though no formal training was ever given to her, she had become quite handy with the lessons from her father.

Her first shot was a flop. The arrow hit the ground behind the target and the troop immediately broke out into laughter. The noise consisted of boo's, insults and a carefully crafted annoying laugh that Link had actually rehearsed.

The second shot was only slightly better. She scathed the edge of the outer ring, which George ruled, would give one point. Once again, the same insulting laughter roared across the side of the Troop.

Linda had one last chance to redeem herself. She pulled the string and took a deep breath; a calm wind blew in the silent moment. The arrow was released and sent flying straight at the target. George ruled that she scored eight points for her team with a near bull's eye.

Second on team Troop was Kyle. He held a cute mini bow that was suited to his size, which went along with mini arrows, which he crafted himself. The three shots scored in at 5 points, 9 points, and 6 points respectively, with a whopping 9 points added to the team.

Sarah was second to shoot on team Linda. Since she had no bow she borrowed Linda's. Though Linda was coaching the whole time, Sarah couldn't manage a single hit on the target. The frustration in Linda's voice seemed to only worsen poor Sarah's performance. The Troop's increasing volume of insults further infuriated Linda.

Arthur stepped up to the range and armed his customized bow which had a targeting system and arrow holder attached to it. Though he had all the gadgets, the highest he scored out of three tries was 4 points. The troop was tremendously disappointed in Arthur, but not discouraged from winning, seeing as they had a substantial lead on team Linda.

For Leanne's turn, she had to borrow Linda's bow. This was her first time using the bow and arrow, but she had much to learn from the mistakes of the competitors before her. After a short, agitated, tutorial given by Linda, Leanne focused her thoughts to remove any and all distractions from her mind. Her first shot struck the 9-point ring. The members of team Troop were struck in awe as Linda happily jumped and danced in circles. Leanne's beginner's luck wore off quickly. The next two attempts did not amount to anything close to a 9 pointer.

Last on team Troop was Dennis. For some strange reason, he stood about ten feet too far back from the firing line. He pulled the string on his bow with arrow armed. Team Troop shouted to stop his attempt and told him to move forward to get better accuracy.

While holding the string and arrow in firing position, he paced forward to the line. Right as he was about to reach firing position, he slipped on the mud and accidentally shot the arrow straight upward prior to landing with his back on the mud.

The entire crowd of people scurried around scanning the skies to see where the arrow would land. The short panic caused a temporary pause of the archery games. They never saw that arrow again.

George ruled that Dennis had used up his first shot with that mishap. The young boy stood on firing position again and armed his bow. The crowd was noticeably farther back than normal for this round. Dennis made a 2-point shot followed by a close 3 pointer, which brought the final score of team Troop to 26. At this point, team Linda had 17 points, so they would need a perfect 10 points to win.

Zelda confidently set herself up in the shooter's spot. She raised the bow and aimed it directly at the target. Suddenly, she redirected her shot skyward. The second shot was instantly armed and released to her right. The arrow that was sent flying to her right made a magical u-turn and cut through every bull's eye along the line of targets leading up to her main target.

The last arrow, which she quickly armed in her bow, glowed a shining light blue. When she made her final shot, the timing was so precise that it pierced both other arrows as they crossed paths between she and her target; one arrow falling from the sky, and the other coming in from her right side. The result of the shot, as George walked over to examine the frozen target was that the 'ice' arrow had impaled the two arrows and then froze the entire target once it landed a bull's eye.

Link, still in disbelief of what just took place, made his way over toward the target to examine the validity of Georgie's description. He gawked for a couple of seconds before he turned to address Zelda who had the same arrogant grin that Link had a few moments ago. He noticed that the raging ruby was gently floating behind her.

"That's cheating!" he shouted as he pointed his finger at the sorceress. "Magic is against the rules."

Just as he had finished the latter part of his statement, another arrow flew right by his face and struck the adjacent target. He turned and, with an expression of horror, verified that Zelda had sunk a perfect 10-point shot without the use of magic.

"10 points to team Linda!" George declared.

An explosion of cheers erupted from the members of team Linda. Link tried to convince George that she had already used up her three shots and should be disqualified. The referee didn't falter in his ruling and continued to ignore Link's agitated suppositions.

At the realization of loss, Link had nothing to say but, "NOOOOO!"

His cries echoed across the forest and lingered on until the fruit picking began.


	16. Chapter 15: Inner Demon

Chapter 15 Inner Demon

"So how's it been lately?" Zelda said in a friendly manner.

"Oh it's been just GREAT Princess Zelda!" Replied Linda enthusiastically.

They strolled across the orchard together, talking about current events and life on each side of the castle walls.

Linda raised the question, "So how is it over in the castle? Have you kept your cover this whole time?"

"Not very good… The police are running the people; Ganondorf is taking the minds of each of the councilmen… I can feel his grip on Hyrule kingdom growing by the day. If he knew how much of a threat I am, I'd probably be under his spell too."

"Don't say that!"

"It's true. Very soon I'm going to have to leave the castle for good until we get the three gems." A moment of silence passed, then Zelda continued, "By then, the situation will have become extremely dire."

"Zelda," Linda solemnly said. "Can you make me a promise?"

"Don't die?"

"Pleeease don't die. You are all that made this community possible. I- _We _need you…" She looked down at the floor with a grim frown on her face.

"Linda… I…" At a loss for words, Zelda stepped forward and embraced Linda.

Linda pushed herself away and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- I don't want to cause you stress. Please forget what I've just said…"

Zelda reached out to Linda with her right arm and stroked her hair. She said in a consoling voice, "Linda…"

"HEY!" shouted Link from a nearby apple tree.

Linda immediately switched personalities and shouted back, "What!?"

"How do we know we're done?" Link asked angrily. The troop, together with Sarah and Leanne were all watching the conversation.

She took a quick look at each of their baskets from where she stood and then announced, "That's good."

Altogether the troop, and Link each sighed in relief at the prospect of a finished job. They grabbed their stuff and headed back to the cavern.

Linda joined the crowd as they walked passed her. Just as she crossed Zelda who was standing still, lost in deep thought, the princess grabbed her hand.

Zelda then said, "Linda, you understand why I'm doing all this right?"

Linda turned around. "Yeah."

"Live in the now. Don't think of what you will have to do later on, or what might happen to me."

"Princess…"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes…"

"I didn't form this community to have you, or anyone else learn to rely on me." Zelda stated blankly.

"I can't…" The tears welled up in her eyes once again.

"Linda, I care about you. I know you are strong, and I need you to be strong. I may not come back tomorrow, and the last thing I want is for my absence to render you useless."

"Okay, Princess." She stated in a reluctant fashion.

Link butted himself in and asked, "Hey, are you two coming in?"

Linda walked past Link shielding her face from his sight. She left without a word.

"What's going on?" he questioned worriedly.

"I just…" she couldn't quite put it in words.

"What did you say to her?"

"I told her we might not be coming back tomorrow and that she had to be prepared for that. And that she has to be strong, and not lose it."

"Seems pretty cold to say something like that."

"Well I-" she found herself at a loss for words. "These are plain and simple facts, the sooner you accept them, the better."

For a while, both of them were silent.

"Well… think of it like this: If I were to walk up to a mother at her son's funeral and give a detailed explanation of the circumstances of his death, technically, that would be true right?"

"That's kind of a morbid example… but yeah I guess you can say that."

"It's kinda hard to explain what I'm trying to say, but… I guess you could say, that there are times when it is okay to say stuff like that, but then there are times when you will only do more damage."

"Right…"

"Look, I'm not trying to make you feel bad here but-"

"No, I get what you mean. Linda wasn't ready to hear that. I was… insensitive I guess…"

"Zelda, you are not an exception to the state of this world either. Remember that you are also under a lot of pressure."

Tears flowed out of the Princess's eyes. "I'm just so worried Link."

Link walked over and embraced her. Her head rested on his shoulder. The cry intensified as Zelda poured her feelings out.

"A-all th-this time I have t-to tell people to not worry and be h-happy and take care. I just- just lost it this time. It's such a burden."

She paused before she continued, "Link what if I become like **him.**"

He said nothing.

"These people rely on me… t-they need me around to help. They rely on me like the Hyruleans rely on Ganondorf. I have become a parasite, just like every other politician out there. Feeding off of the needs of her people."

"Zelda, if there is anything you and Impa have taught me," He pulled away and locked eye contact with her. "It's that you are _nothing_ like those 'politicians.'"

She placed her forehead against his chest and let out the remainder of her tears. Link silently waited until she was ready to go.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. For the first time in weeks, Zelda was present at the community dinner. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was ecstatic all the way to bedtime. It had been a jam-packed day for Link, so he had no trouble sleeping early.

Eyes open.

An infinite ocean once again rested below him. "A dream again, huh?"

He looked up to the sun and basked in its brilliance. Brighter than even the real sun, but not a wince of pain to gaze upon. A bright and joyful feeling rushed through him from head to toe. At that moment, he was an embodiment of bliss.

The ecstatic feeling was interrupted by a sharp pain that ran through his stomach. He looked down and recognized his dark alter ego standing in front of him with a crazed grin and a sadistic glare. When Link took a glance at his own stomach, he saw a black blade protruding from his belly, and blood dripping from his wound, staining the water. He held the edge and tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge. The pain was unbearable. His stomach muscles impulsively contracted on the sharp edges, which brought out even more pain and blood. The sword was suddenly twisted a half turn clockwise, making the wound even worse.

Link looked up with anger in his eyes. The Dark Link still had the same manic grin on his face. At the sight of Link's angry, red eyes, the creature burst into an insane, high-pitched laughter. Link acted on his anger and reached out to strangle his dark self, but before he could grab him, the nightmare suddenly ended.

Link awoke in the dark, panting and sweating. He felt his chest and belly to make sure no wounds were real. After struggling around for a few seconds, he managed to scramble over to one of the walls of the tent. He leaned his body against the covering to catch his breath.

The mess of noise that he had made was enough to wake Zelda up, who promptly sought to verify Link's safety.

"Link?" whispered a small voice in the dark.

"Yeah?" he replied with heavy breathing.

"Are you okay?" she said, sounding concerned.

"Um, yes. I just had a short nightmare." The breathing died down a little.

"What was it about?"

He hesitated to describe the scene in detail to avoid stressing Zelda out. "I was… stabbed."

At first, she said nothing. Instead, she lit up a ball of light.

With the maroon tent illuminated, Link could see that Zelda was wearing a long white sleeping gown. The ball floated above her right hand while she leaned in as far as she could toward Link, using her left hand on the ground for support. She had the same sincere, concerned expression as she did the first time they had met in that cold prison.

"Link, do you… do you need-"

"No, I'm alright… I just… need time to think about it."

"Okay, just take care of yourself… I wouldn't want you to get hurt over all this."

"It's not that… there is something else that has been bugging me."

"What might that be?"

"There is this recurring demon in my nightmares… he takes on my form and tries to kill me."

"Like a Dark 'you'?"

"Yeah but… not _quite _'me'."

"I see…"

"Sorry to bother you about all this. I've had visions of 'him' since that one week I got sick."

"Do you think he was triggered by something we did?"

"No. He has always been there… I've just remained blind to his presence until then."

"Link… I don't know much about dream reading, but I just want you to know… I will be here for you; I will do all I can to help."

"Thank you… That means a lot to me…"

The conversation calmed Link down quite a bit, and he was able to sleep uninterrupted through the rest of the night.

He awoke with an uneasy state of mind. A battle had been waged through the night, and the victor had not been settled. The feeling would be best described as a neutral uncertainty.

The tent was empty, so he got himself up, and stepped outside. The usual morning breakfast was commencing. He could see from a distance that Zelda was rushing around like a busy waitress serving people, taking a few bites here and there, and making small talk now and then. In the midst of her hectic routine, she caught a glimpse Link and rushed over to hurry him in.

She grabbed his right hand with both of hers and welcomed him in with a friendly "c'mon!"

Link quickly got up to speed with the mood of the morning and jogged up next to her. He took a moment to ask, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Zelda sat him down and brought over a plate that she had prepared for him with a piece of every dish on it. "Eat!" she insisted.

Link refused to eat at first to repeat his question. "Why-"

"Look, you needed some sleep. Now eat!" she said with a brisk smile on her face.

Link found himself astounded by Zelda's expression. She somehow managed to create a polarity shift in his mood by the lively application of a few words and an energetic demeanor.

While lost in his thoughts, he did not realize how long he had left Zelda staring blankly at him, staring blankly into space. "Eat!" she asserted once again.

"Oh, right!" he realizably stated as he remembered to eat, and then proceeded to gorge upon the delectable feast that lay before him.

Though he did not see it, a motherly joy developed in Zelda as she observed his vigorous, youthful craving for food. She giggled to herself and thought "Oh, Link."

Link stuffed himself beyond the realm of description.

Zelda greeted everyone goodbye one by one while the young hero impatiently waited by the exit. While she was off doing her thing, Kyle walked up to the bored hero.

"Supreme Commander…" he said, less lively than usual.

Link was caught off-guard by someone greeting him, but didn't fail to respond. Taking note of his subordinate's gloomy mood, he casually greeted him, "Yo, what's up, Kyle?"

"I have a gift for you." The young boy solemnly said as he held out a sealed jar with a strange thick mustard colored liquid. It looked like there were ground beans blended in all throughout the container.

Link's mood switched in a surprise, from a casual, friendly, manner, to a serious, concerned, demeanor. He accepted the gift with two hands, the most respect he had shown any member of the troop since he became supreme commander. For a moment he examined the jar, twisting it around and upside down for better angles.

"My Grandma made it. She says it gives you energy. So please drink some before you go fighting."

"Alright Kyle, I'll try to remember to drink some when I might need some more energy."

"Li- Supreme Commander… You'll come back right? You aren't gonna… die… right?"

Link kneeled down next to him and said, "You know who's got my back out there?" He then pointed to Zelda who was still busy saying her goodbyes. "She's got my back. Someone with a heart like that doesn't just let others die so easily. I'll be fine, Kyle. I'm sure your Grandma's… (soup?) will help a lot as well."

"It's an Elixir she says."

"Oh okay, 'Elixir' then."

Kyle Started off back to his tent. He turned around at the realization of something and said, "Oh and Supreme Commander,"

"Yes?"

"Grandma says to only drink half at a time, or you might get out of control. It's _really _strong."

Without another word, Kyle turned and continued on his way.

Link opened the lid and took a curious whiff of the substance. The smell was extremely potent and almost brought tears to his eyes.

Linda did not show up at first, but towards the end, she walked up to Zelda.

"Um, Princess?"

"Oh, Linda, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for yesterday."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. These are things I should have come to terms with. I have been relying on you and have been a burden to you."

"Well, Linda, I got a little pep talk from someone who cleared it all up for me, so don't worry about it. We're all in this together."

"Thank you Princess Zelda. I promise that I will be of more help in the coming weeks."

When all was said and done, the last person Zelda had to greet, and the only one Link agreed to say goodbye to, was Impa. The entire community surrounded and listened in on their last goodbyes.

"So you two are going on another adventure then?" she said in a motherly manner.

"Yes, Impa, we'll try our best to make it back." Said Zelda.

Link said, "If we don't make it back, I'd like to thank you now for all that you've done for me."

"Don't you worry yourselves. I'm sure you'll do fine. You've done it before."

"Goodbye." They each said.

"Oh and one more thing," Impa spoke. She handed them a map to a location along their path to the temple. "Can you head out here and say hi to an old friend of mine? Tell him I sent you. He'll understand."

With the last of Impa's reminders, the two adventurers were off on a new journey.


	17. Chapter 16: A Curious Wind

Chapter 16 A Curious Wind

Link and Princess Zelda stepped out into the morning sun, which was almost directly over them. It was later than they had originally planned to leave but they did not feel the need to rush. They had a three-day supply of food, and were not going into anything as perilous as a desert.

As Link walked out onto Hyrule fields, he saw two horses tied to a nearby stable. One was white in its entirety, and the other had an overall deep red brown color that turned black towards the hoofs and snout. The red-brown one had a white mane and tail, which accentuated a wild beauty latent in the animal.

Zelda mounted the white one and was waiting for Link to mount his. He seemed too baffled by the horse to pay any attention to what he had to do.

"Who is she?" He asked.

"Her name is Epona. She's been carrying you every time we've set out on horses together."

"So the night I first came here?"

"Yes, then too."

Link directed his attention to Epona. He stroked the horse's mane and spoke to her. "So you've brought me all the way here huh? Thank you Epona, for getting me out of my own mess."

Once saddled up and loaded with supplies, they embarked on the journey. The temple they headed to was in the northern mountains, so they trotted the northbound route along the eastern side of Hyrule Castle.

As they travelled on their way, the duo had many an interesting conversation, and the occasional joke here and there.

"…And so, the Captain turns to his crew and says: 'Fetch me my brown pants!'"

At the punch line of the joke, Zelda burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Oh that is so funny! Where did you hear that one?"

"Actually… it was Drake, I believe, who first told this joke at the academy."

Still cooling down from the laughter, Zelda remarked, "Wow, he must have been a funny guy!"

"Yeah, he was."

"Hey, Zelda, I just realized something…"

"What's that?"

"I don't have a sword!"

"Oh my! That _is _a problem." She pulled a thin double-sided sword from a sheath hanging on her waist. "This is my personal protection sword that was given to me procedurally to defend myself if I ever get in trouble."

She handed the sword to Link. Its handle was golden, with red, blue, green, and yellow gems decorating the hilt. The silver blade was thin like a rapier, and looked as though it would break if it were accidentally dropped.

"It's probably lighter than you're used to, but it has been blessed by the best magicians, to be pretty much indestructible, and so, it doesn't dull, and it will not break by any force we are facing."

Link swung the sword around to get a feel for it, then remarked, "This is a pretty good sword, I can get used to it. Can I have the sheath?"

Zelda untied the sheath from her waist and handed it over to Link, who tied it diagonally across his chest.

"I could never do that waist thing for some reason. It just doesn't feel right."

He sheathed the sword and asked, "So you know how to use a sword too?"

"Well… I know the basics, but, it was never my thing, not to mention, it's not very princess-like to know how to use a sword well."

"Don't you ever get tired of being a princess?"

"Are you kidding me?! ALL the time!"

"Well, you act like it's not such a big deal."

"Let's just say, I was taught from a young age how to hide my frustration very well."

"All in a day's work of being the princess of Hyrule huh?"

"Hear hear!"

They followed the path that led to the destination indicated on Impa's map. Most of the way was along the existing mountain path. It was extremely narrow. Their horses had to travel in single-file lines. All along each side of the path, the rocks and stones shot straight up like blades. Not much vegetation grew around these areas. Occasionally one would find a bush or a small patch of grass, but for the most part, the mountains were devoid of any greenery.

At one point they came upon a wooden sign on the side of the road shaped like an arrow pointing right.

On the sign was written:

"Big Goron's Weapons and Armor. Made from the finest minerals the North Mountains have to offer!"

After a ten minute hike, they arrived at a hole in the mountain side. They each dismounted and walked up the cave entrance. The opening was quite large for a human. It was almost as tall as two men and wide enough to easily fit three.

Right next to it was a wooden sign that read:

"Big Goron's Weapons and Armor. Open everyday, from dawn til' dusk."

"Is this the right place?" Link asked.

"That's what the map says."

They looked at each other with uncertain expressions, and then turned towards the cave.

Zelda said, "Only one way to find out." and then headed in. Link shortly followed behind.

Torches attached to the walls lighted the path. It wasn't long before they reached an enormous, long, empty cavern. Few torches lit the near parts of the cavern, but the cave was mostly pitch black all the way towards the far end. A few weapons, armors, and chainmail rested on stands against the walls adjacent to the entrance.

"Is someone supposed to be here?" Link asked.

"I don't know," answered Zelda.

"Hello!" she shouted. Her voice echoed for a long time, revealing the depth of the cavern.

Link went on and said, "Hmph, I guess he's a no-show." Just as he turned to walk back though, the ground started rumbling extravagantly. It was unlike any earthquake they had ever felt.

Both of them fell on their bums and couldn't get up if they tried.

Far in the distance, an orange light appeared, a small black figure then blocked the light, and the rumbling escalated. The object increased in size and drowned out the light. The quakes became so intense that Link and Zelda were bouncing off the ground.

Suddenly the tremors stopped. The two looked and saw a bulky round head attached to an even larger, rounder, body. The creature was so huge, that the cavern barely gave enough allowance for it to move. It was leaning on its two elbows for support, and the legs were somewhere out of sight. The general skin color was mustard, and it had two large purple eyes.

When the giant greeted them, the sound of its voice was loud enough to hurt their ears, though it was noticeable that it was the softest he could muster up.

"Hello, and welcome to Big Goron's Weapons and Armor Blacksmithing Cavern! I am Big Goron. How may I help you?"

Link and Zelda had fingers in their ears. Without letting go of her ears, Zelda shouted, "Hello large Goron! We are here on behalf of Impa! Do you happen to know her?!"

"Hmmm…" the goron mumbled as he thought. "Oh yes, yes, an elderly lady, am I correct?"

"Yes, we are close friends. She instructed us to meet with you."

"Ok, well, she gave me some designs for a sword some years ago. It's a pretty complex piece of equipment if you ask me. It can only be made in areas of intense heat and pressure. She said she'd send someone to come pick it up. I honestly wasn't sure if she'd pull through, but I guess she did."

"She asked for you to make a sword?"

"Yeah, and only I can do it, apparently, so I was her only option."

"Interesting… Do you have it now?"

"Sadly, no. I can start making it, but it'll take a couple days to do it. Can you return in a few days?"

"Actually, we can. Do you need any pay?"

"Nah, your buddy Impa had it paid in full when she ordered it."

"Okay, thank you."

"No problem. But one more thing."

"What?"

"Can you flip the sign around when you walk outside? It's gonna take me the rest of the day and all night to do your sword. I can't have any more customers."

"Ok. We will."

Zelda and Link both turned around and headed out.

"So that's what Gorons look like?" the curious hero asked.

"Oh, right! You've never seen a goron before. Well… usually they're only slightly larger than humans. I didn't know they could get _that_ big, but hey, I guess you learn something new everyday."

"That's incredible!"

"Yeah… there are a lot of creatures you haven't seen yet."

"So you've met one before?"

"I've met the Goron Tribe representative, as well as the Zora representative too."

"You've seen a Zora, too?!"

"Yup! They're pretty interesting creatures actually, the only problem is the smell. They always smell like fish."

They reached the cave entrance. Zelda flipped the front sign around. On its back read:

"Sorry, Big Goron is Busy right now. Or it's closed."

They mounted their horses and set out for the temple.

They met up with the main mountain pass and followed it until the very end where there was a wide green tree with a far reach. In the hot noon sun, it provided cool shade for a rest area.

Flowers with all kinds of pretty colors surrounded the tree outside the edges of its shadow. One the side, there was a small pond supplied by an underground spring below it. The springtime atmosphere gave the area an inviting and warm feeling. Zelda and Link couldn't help but take some time to rest before searching for the entrance to the temple.

They each sat side by side against the trunk of the tree.

"So where is the entrance? This is as far as the mountain pass will take us." Link said.

"Apparently it is hidden somewhere around here."

"And you know how to find it?"

"Well, I just have to find and play the magical melody to open some door."

"Where exactly does one find this 'magical' melody?"

"It just takes a little bit of searching." Zelda said as she pulled out her dowsing crystal.

Once again, she hung it from a light chain, closed her eyes and let the crystal guide her. The gem glowed blue and then pointed toward to the north end of the garden. "There it is." She muttered to herself.

The sorceress walked over and placed her hand on the jumble of rocks that constituted the wall. Upon touching the surface, the rocks reassembled to form a solid stone plate. Written on the plate were some simple musical notes.

Zelda readied her ocarina and began to play. The joyful melody conveyed a feeling easily relatable to childhood games. No fear, nor sorrow, but pure, youthful bliss. Upon hearing it, a grassy field is imaginatively envisioned, and a desire to dance like a fool develops at heart. Instilled in the listener is a daring feeling to go out and learn, and to be amazed at the prospect of true knowledge and the delight of discovery. (Melody name: A Curious Wind)

As soon as the melody was done, a vertical slice down the center split the stone in two. Glowing inscriptions appeared upon the plates, consisting mostly of strange ancient writings as well as an etched Triforce at the center. The two sides split apart; the realm beyond the doors was eerily pitch black.

After a quick check-up on their equipment, they tied their horses to the tree, and delved into the depths of the mountain.


End file.
